(C) DEMARCHE REQUEST: GTMO DETAINEE EMERGENCY MEDEVAC

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 130626 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2017 TAGS: PTER PHUM PINS PREL MARR DR CS PM MX SUBJECT: (C) DEMARCHE REQUEST: GTMO DETAINEE EMERGENCY MEDEVAC STANDBY ARRANGEMENT CLASSIFIED BY WHA A/S THOMAS A. SHANNON, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) Department requests that Embassies Santo Domingo, San Jose, Panama City, and Mexico City approach the Governments of the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Panama, and Mexico about a standby arrangement that would enable DoD to transport Guantanamo detainees in need of critical care to a medical facility in ONE of those countries, if needed, on an emergency basis. Objectives -------------- ¶2. (C) Department requests that Embassies Santo Domingo, San Jose, Panama City, and Mexico City pursue the following objectives: -- Inform each respective government that the USG seeks to conclude a standby arrangement that would enable DoD to transport Guantanamo detainees in need of critical care to a medical facility in the respective country, if needed, on an emergency basis; -- Advise each respective government that DoD would provide appropriate security for any detainee transported under the arrangement, and that the USG would bear all costs associated with care provided under the arrangement; -- Stress that the arrangement the USG seeks would be invoked only on an as-needed, emergency basis, and that currently there are no detainees at Guantanamo in need of transportation for critical care under such an arrangement; -- Persuade the government to enter into such an arrangement with the USG on a humanitarian basis, to assist in rendering life-saving procedures for a detainee(s),if needed. -- If asked, draw from the information in paragraph 6 to explain why the USG cannot transport detainees to the United States for emergency medical treatment. Reporting Deadline -------------- ¶3. (C) Department requests that Embassies Santo Domingo, San Jose, Panama City, and Mexico City report the results of their efforts by cable slugged for S/WCI - Ambassador Williamson by Wednesday, September 19. Background -------------- ¶4. (C) The Deputy Secretary has agreed to the Deputy Secretary of Defense's request that the Department approach the Governments of the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Panama, and Mexico (in that order of preference) about a standby arrangement that would enable DoD to transport Guantanamo detainees in need of critical care to a medical facility in ONE of those countries, if needed, on an emergency basis. DoD seeks such an arrangement in the event that a detainee were to require life-saving procedures that DoD cannot provide at Guantanamo - i.e., an unanticipated emergency that requires a type of treatment DoD cannot transport to, or maintain at, Guantanamo. The proposed arrangement would be a non-binding political understanding and would not constitute a formal international agreement. Currently there are no detainees at Guantanamo in need of transportation for critical care under such an arrangement. ¶5. (C) Detainees receive state-of-the-art medical care at Guantanamo for routine, and many non-routine, medical problems. There are, however, limits to the care that DoD can provide at Guantanamo, and serious risks (outlined in paragraph 6) associated with the transportation of detainees to the United States for medical treatment. DoD HEALTH Affairs policy experts have identified the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Panama, and Mexico as countries with the requisite level of emergency medical care, in relatively close proximity to Guantanamo, where detainees could receive life-saving procedures that are unavailable on short notice at Guantanamo. ¶6. (SBU) At this time, the USG is not admitting any Guantanamo detainees into the United States for several reasons, including that admitting particular detainees might lead litigants to argue that U.S. courts should order the USG to admit other, more dangerous, detainees. These concerns are unique to the United States and are not something that third countries face. Terrorism is an international problem, and we believe efforts to counter it should be shared among all nations that are potentially its targets. Other countries, such as Albania, have in the past acknowledged the need for all to share in this counter-terrorism effort by accepting Guantanamo detainees who are not their nationals for resettlement. ¶7. (C) DoD would provide appropriate security for any detainee transported under the standby arrangement. DoD also would bear all costs associated with care provided under the arrangement. The USG would view a country's decision to enter such an arrangement as an important humanitarian gesture. ¶8. (C) Department understands that the proposed arrangement raises significant legal and logistical issues that would need to be resolved before such an arrangement could be concluded. At this juncture, we are simply seeking to determine whether any of the four countries identified by the DoD HEALTH Affairs policy experts would be receptive to discussing the matter further. Point of Contact -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Point of contact for this request is S/WCI - Mark Stamilio, phone: (202) 647-5234, email: StamilioMA2@state.sgov.gov. RICE