NORWEGIANS WILLING TO CONSIDER ACCEPTING

C O N F I D E N T I A L OSLO 000679 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/19/2018 TAGS: PTER NO SUBJECT: NORWEGIANS WILLING TO CONSIDER ACCEPTING GUANTANAMO DETAINEES Classified By: Political Counselor Kristen Bauer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Meeting with Senior Advisor Anniken Enersen of the legal staff at the MFA on other counterterrorism matters, poloff raised the issue of Norway potentially accepting Guantanamo detainees. Enersen said that the matter was being "talked about" within the section and in the press, and said that the GON was "expecting" a "formal" request from the USG once President elect Obama takes office, which would be "very carefully considered." Any decision would be taken at a "high political level." ¶2. (C) Enersen said that, in her opinion, there was no appetite to acquiesce to requests from the Bush administration. She implied that a request from the new Obama administration would be viewed quite differently. Legal department officials had been asked directly by Ambassador Clint Williamson if Norway would be willing to accept detainees during a meeting in late September. At that time, Norwegian officials clearly had no interest in such a request. ¶3. (C) Comment: Enersen's comments to poloff should be viewed for what they are: comments by a mid-level official who nonetheless is privy to the general atmosphere in the legal department of the MFA. Post does not doubt that if a "formal" request would come from the Obama administration, Norway would "carefully consider" it and not just give a knee-jerk no as they have done earlier. This does not guarantee a favorable response, but post suggests that as soon as possible after the inauguration, a request in the form of a letter from a high-ranking US official should be delivered to the Norwegians. End Comment. JOHNSON