Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BRUSSELS516
2009-04-06 15:28:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Brussels
Cable title:  

BELGIAN JUSTICE MINISTER ON PRIORITIES, TRABELSI

Tags:  PGOV JUS BE 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0672
PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHBS #0516 0961528
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 061528Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8811
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DOJ WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 000516 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2010
TAGS: PGOV JUS BE
SUBJECT: BELGIAN JUSTICE MINISTER ON PRIORITIES, TRABELSI
EXTRADITION, GUANTANAMO ETAINEES AND ISLAMIC RADICALIZATION

Classified By: CDA Wayne Bush, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 000516

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2010
TAGS: PGOV JUS BE
SUBJECT: BELGIAN JUSTICE MINISTER ON PRIORITIES, TRABELSI
EXTRADITION, GUANTANAMO ETAINEES AND ISLAMIC RADICALIZATION

Classified By: CDA Wayne Bush, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Justice Minister Stefaan De Clerck, reprising his
role as Justice Minister from an earlier government, told the
Charge d'affaires on March 2, 2009 that his top priorities in
his new post were to improve the efficiency of the judicial
system in executing sanctions against criminals; modernizing
the judicial system's computer networks, which actually broke
down two years ago; and reorganizing the judicial system
itself. Looking ahead to Belgium's turn as EU President in
the second half of 2010, De Clerck said he expected his
government to pursue similar goals on the judicial side
dring its Presidency.


2. (C) With reference to the extradition of convicted
terrorist Nizar Trabelsi, the Minister said that the request
was going through the first steps of a procedure in which he,
in consultation with the Cabinet, would have the final
decision. The Minister said that Trabelsi had filed his
first appeal on 19 February but that it had been rejected.
If Trabelsi were to ask for asylum, Trabelsi could make
things very complicated for the U.S. In the meantime, the
Minister expects Trabelsi's extradition case to be reviewed
by the Court of Cassation by the summer of this year.


3. (C) When asked about Belgium taking Guantanamo
detainees, De Clerck wondered aloud why Belgium had to find a
solution for the U.S. When the Charge replied that the U.S.
would already be dealing with the hardest detainee cases, the
Minister replied that his concern was that any detainees
accepted would be released into Belgian society. De Clerck
said that the Home Affairs Ministry had discussed the issue
of detainees the week previously. Belgium will await the
report of an EU delegation traveling to Washington in March.
De Klerck believes that it is important to balance American
responsibility for the detainees with the need to ensure that
the facility be closed, implying that Belgium would consider
taking a few.


4. (C) On Islamic radicalization, De Klerck said that it
was a Europe-wide problem. There was more risk of problems
in Antwerp, although the overall risk had gone down. In
general, radicalization was not as much of an issue in
Belgium as in some neighboring countries. De Klerck
continues to hope that further integration will bring further
Europeanization in the communities in question.

BUSH
.