Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07LJUBLJANA187
2007-03-28 05:16:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ljubljana
Cable title:
SLOVENIA: TALIBAN PRISONER EXCHANGE REVEALS NEED
how-toVZCZCXRO7194 OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHLJ #0187 0870516 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 280516Z MAR 07 FM AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5669 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000187
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2017
TAGS: PREF PTER
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA: TALIBAN PRISONER EXCHANGE REVEALS NEED
FOR COMMON APPROACHES IN HOSTAGE CASES
REF: SECSTATE 36204
Classified By: DCM Maryruth Coleman for reasons 1.4 (B & D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000187
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2017
TAGS: PREF PTER
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA: TALIBAN PRISONER EXCHANGE REVEALS NEED
FOR COMMON APPROACHES IN HOSTAGE CASES
REF: SECSTATE 36204
Classified By: DCM Maryruth Coleman for reasons 1.4 (B & D).
1. (C) DCM presented reftel demarche March 26 to Ambassador
Roman Kirn, Director of the Division for the Americas at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Kirn concurred that the release
of Taliban prisoners set a bad precedent and could encourage
further hostage-taking and undermine the coalition's security
situation in Afghanistan. He remarked that the Italian deal
with the Government of Afghanistan has garnered considerable
attention and is prompting new thinking. Nevertheless, he
characterized the case as sensitive and very difficult -- a
question of balancing principle against the destiny of
individuals taken hostage. He noted that in such a situation,
any government confronts a "national preoccupation" to secure
the freedom of its citizens. Kirn predicted that the Taliban
prisoner case will be discussed soon in the EU context in an
effort to increase "common understanding" of how future cases
of hostage-taking should be handled.
ROBERTSON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2017
TAGS: PREF PTER
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA: TALIBAN PRISONER EXCHANGE REVEALS NEED
FOR COMMON APPROACHES IN HOSTAGE CASES
REF: SECSTATE 36204
Classified By: DCM Maryruth Coleman for reasons 1.4 (B & D).
1. (C) DCM presented reftel demarche March 26 to Ambassador
Roman Kirn, Director of the Division for the Americas at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Kirn concurred that the release
of Taliban prisoners set a bad precedent and could encourage
further hostage-taking and undermine the coalition's security
situation in Afghanistan. He remarked that the Italian deal
with the Government of Afghanistan has garnered considerable
attention and is prompting new thinking. Nevertheless, he
characterized the case as sensitive and very difficult -- a
question of balancing principle against the destiny of
individuals taken hostage. He noted that in such a situation,
any government confronts a "national preoccupation" to secure
the freedom of its citizens. Kirn predicted that the Taliban
prisoner case will be discussed soon in the EU context in an
effort to increase "common understanding" of how future cases
of hostage-taking should be handled.
ROBERTSON