BOSNIA - AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES ALGERIAN 6 WITH PM

S E C R E T SARAJEVO 001735 NOFORN SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR S/WCI (WILLIAMSON, VIBUL-JOLLES),EUR (JONES),AND EUR/SCE (FOOKS, STINCHCOMB) E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/10/2018 TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL PTER BK AG SUBJECT: BOSNIA - AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES ALGERIAN 6 WITH PM SPIRIC, SECURITY MINISTER SADOVIC AND JUSTICE MINISTER COLAK REF: A. SECSTATE 117141 ¶B. SARAJEVO 1705 ¶C. SARAJEVO 1723 Classified By: Ambassador Charles English for Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (S/NF) The Ambassador met separately on November 12 with Prime Minister Spiric and on November 10 with Security Minister Sadovic and Justice Minister Colak to convey points about the possible return to Bosnia of some of the "Algerian 6" Guantanamo detainees (Ref A). The Ambassador stressed that, while the USG has made specific requests of the Bosnian government concerning the detainees, we are not asking Bosnian authorities to do anything that would violate Bosnian law. PM Spiric said that he understood the urgency of the issue and the need to keep it out of the media. He told the Ambassador that the possible return of detainees will be discussed in a closed session of the Council of Ministers on November 13. Spiric stressed that he wants to deal with this issue in a "positive" way, but he added that the entire Council of Ministers would have to make the decision. The Ambassador suggested that he meet again with Spiric soon after the Council of Ministers meeting to discuss the situation and possible further steps. ¶2. (S/NF) Security Minister Sadovic told the Ambassador that he would support some special measures such as surveillance if detainees return to Bosnia. However, he stressed that any attempt by the Bosnian government to deprive former detainees of civil rights would encounter strong public opposition and create additional difficulties for the Council of Ministers. He also repeated the comments he made to S/WCI Ambassador Clint Williamson (Ref B) that a finding by Bosnia's intelligence service that the detainees are no longer a "threat to national security" would facilitate the detainees' return to Bosnia. He suggested that the US should share information that supports such a finding with the head of the intelligence service. Minister Colak had little new to add to the discussion (Ref B),except to say that he hopes Bosnia can resolve the issue of detainee returns expeditiously. ENGLISH