FURTHER INFORMATION ON IRELAND'S ACCEPTANCE OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBLIN 000038

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/2019
TAGS: PREL PREF PTER CU EI MX
SUBJECT: FURTHER INFORMATION ON IRELAND'S ACCEPTANCE OF
GUANTANAMO DETAINEES

REF: A. DUBLIN 707

B. DUBLIN 019

Classified By: CDA ROBERT J FAUCHER. REASONS 1.4 (b/d)


1. (C) Summary. Ireland has resolved inter-ministerial
differences and publicly signaled its readiness to accept
Guantanamo detainees as part of a collective EU response to a
clear U.S. roadmap leading to Guantanamo's closure. Ireland
is ready to consider resettlement of at least one or two
detainees. An official message of encouragement and support
from the U.S. could encourage Ireland to take a more generous
stance. End Summary.

Ahern: A New Context
--------------


2. (U) Irish Justice Minister Dermot Ahern told the press
January 21 that Ireland would be willing to resettle
Guantanamo Bay detainees if a common EU approach were found.
In his statement, Ahern welcomed the priority that the
President gave to closing Guantanamo and declared that the
President's suspension of military trials of Guantanamo
detainees had created "a new context." Ahern stressed that
any Irish move should be part of a united and positive
response at the EU level to a request made by the new
administration for help in bringing about Guantanamo's
closure. He added that EU Foreign Ministers are expected to
discuss the issue at their January 26 EU General Affairs and
External Relations Council (GAERC) meeting in Brussels.

Aylward: One or two
--------------


3. (C) Justice Ministry Secretary General Sean Aylward
(protect) told the Embassy January 22 that Ahern's statement
was not really a reversal of Ahern's previously stated
opposition to accepting any detainees. He explained that
Ireland felt strongly that, by accepting detainees while
Guantanamo was still opened, Ireland would have only
encouraged/enabled continued use of Guantanamo. The
President's announced intention to close Guantanamo provided
the incentive Ireland needed to re-consider whether it would
accept detainees and created the cover Ireland required to
defuse any "hysterical anti-American reaction" caused by the
appearance of detainees in Ireland.


4. (C) Ireland will only accept detainees as part of an
all-EU approach, according to Aylward. There will be no
bilateral deal outside of an EU context, he stressed. The
U.S. should expect Ireland to accept a small number of
detainees, perhaps only one or two, proportionate to the size
of Ireland's population. Ireland's sour experience with
resettling two Palestinian extremists connected to the siege
of the Church of the Nativity has taught Ireland that it does
not have the capacity to handle large groups of such persons,
Aylward added. If this process moves forward, Ireland would
also want to ensure that whomever it selects also wishes to
stay in Ireland. Aylward stressed that Ireland would not
work through any of the NGOs currently trying to place the
detainees, and he termed "counter-productive" the pressure
from U.S. Congressman Delahunt to accept the detainees
promoted by NGOs such as Amnesty International. (Note:
Delahunt sent a November 8, 2008 letter to Ahern urging
Ireland to settle Uzbek national Oybek Jabbarov. End Note.)



5. (C) Aylward stated that the EU needs an exact
date/roadmap for closure in order to prepare a collective
response. He thought the positions of several countries were
changing, the Danes and Swedes in particular. He warned that
many in the EU would find it galling if the United States
were to refuse to accept any of the detainees. Aylward
suggested that a message in the near future from the
Secretary to Prime Minister Cowen that notes Ireland's
helpful stance on Guantanamo could significantly relieve any
Irish hesitancy on this issue.

Montgomery: Political Cooperation
--------------


6. (C) Irish Foreign Ministry Political Director Rory
Montgomery (protect) told the Embassy January 22 that,
although there has been some discussion among ministries, no
formal proposal has been placed before the Cabinet. Prime
Minister Cowen has requested a paper on the issue of
Guantanamo detainees, Montgomery pointed out, demonstrating
Ireland's willingness in principle to consider accepting
detainees. Two issues must be clear, Montgomery added: (a)
the EU/Ireland will need a clear U.S. roadmap that leads to
closure, and (b) Ireland must coordinate its response with

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its EU partners.


7. (C) Montgomery stated that at the January 26 GAERC,
Guantanamo will be raised as an agenda point under "any other
business." He noted that the January 22 COREPER agreed that
the EU needs to provide a positive and public response to the
President. He did not expect a formal conclusion but thought
there would be a very positive (but legally non-binding)
Presidency statement following the Foreign Ministers'
discussion. Ireland will make the following points at the
GAERC:

-- The EU has long called for the closure of Guantanamo and
should welcome the President's decision but expect the
closure process to be complex.

-- Ireland is positively disposed to helping out but there
should be an EU political commitment to share the burden of
the detainees.

-- All EU member states should keep this issue on their
agendas of bilateral meetings with U.S. officials.

Comment
--------------


8. (C) Comment. Now that inter-ministerial differences have
been settled (reftel),Ireland is steeling itself to move
into a leadership role on this issue within the EU. U.S.
official encouragement now would likely produce a more
generous Irish response at these early stages.
FAUCHER