Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09LISBON42
2009-01-21 14:32:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Lisbon
Cable title:
PORTUGAL TO SEEK EU POLITICAL ENDORSEMENT OF
how-toC O N F I D E N T I A L LISBON 00042 CXLISBON: ACTION: DAO INFO: POL DISSEMINATION: DAOA CHARGE: PROG APPROVED: CDA:BALLARD DRAFTED: CDA:DBALLARD CLEARED: POL:RREITER VZCZCLII104 OO RUEHC RUEKJCS RHEHNSC RUEAIIA RUCNMEM RUEHAS RUEHBJ RUEHDM RUEHDBU RUEHIL RUEHBUL RUEHRB RUEHNT RUEHTRO RUEHTU RUEHJM DE RUEHLI #0042/01 0211432 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 211432Z JAN 09 FM AMEMBASSY LISBON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7302 INFO RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC IMMEDIATE RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 0075 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0350 RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 0092 RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0114 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0073 RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 0325 RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 0001 RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 0176 RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0108
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LISBON 000042
NOFORN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/21/2019
TAGS: PGOV PTER PO
SUBJECT: PORTUGAL TO SEEK EU POLITICAL ENDORSEMENT OF
DETAINEE RESETTLEMENT
REF: 08 LISBON 2769
Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, A.I. DAVID BALLARD, FOR 1.4 B AND D.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LISBON 000042
NOFORN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/21/2019
TAGS: PGOV PTER PO
SUBJECT: PORTUGAL TO SEEK EU POLITICAL ENDORSEMENT OF
DETAINEE RESETTLEMENT
REF: 08 LISBON 2769
Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, A.I. DAVID BALLARD, FOR 1.4 B AND D.
1. (U) This is an action request. See para 5.
2. (C/NF) SUMMARY. Portuguese MFA Deputy Political Director
Rui Macieira told DCM January 20 that Portugal will seek
during the January 26 GAERC to obtain clear EU "political
endorsement" to allow willing member states to accept
Guantanamo detainees. The Portuguese proposal is that the
EU, including the Commission and Secretariat, provide a
political blessing that allows each member state interested
in accepting detainees to work bilaterally with the U.S. to
do so. Macieira also asked for U.S. assistance in
encouraging the Czechs to ensure that this subject is on the
agenda for the ministers-only lunch, where Portuguese FM Luis
Amado intends to raise it. Finally, Macieira laid out a set
of "conditions" under which Portugal would itself accept
detainees, including a list of nationalities that Portugal
would not/not accept for a variety of reasons. END SUMMARY.
3. (C/NF) In a short meeting on January 20, MFA Deputy
Political Director Rui Maciera told DCM that he had been
instructed by Political Director Nuno Brito and FM Luis Amado
to inform us that Portugal intended to use the January 26
GAERC to raise the issue of EU member states accepting
Guantanamo detainees and to seek clear, formal "political
endorsement" from the EU, including the Commission and
Secretariat, for the proposal. Similar to the EU's blanket
cover regarding Kosovo recognition that emerged during
Portugal's presidency in the second half of 2007, Portugal's
goal is an EU "blessing" that allows each willing member
state to work out the details of detainee resettlement with
the United States. (Note, in the wake of FM Amado's December
10 letter to the other EU Foreign Ministers, reftel,
Portuguese contacts told us Amado had not fully articulated
his strategy on detainees, but notionally envisioned
developing an EU "framework" for accepting them. Clearly,
Portuguese thinking is now more advanced, and they are
looking for a mere EU blessing that allows bilateral
agreements to take place without drama).
4. (C/NF) Macieira said that FM Amado hoped to be able to
bring up the issue during the ministers-only lunch, mainly
because of the presence of Steinmeier and Kouchner, who were
known to be more favorable to accepting detainees than others
in their governments. He said Portugal thought it also had
Italian support, but it was not solid.
5. (C/NF) Action request: Macieira asked us to encourage the
Czechs to ensure that this issue would be on the agenda for
the lunch and to allow Minister Amado sufficient time to
raise and discuss it. Post recommends that we approach the
Czechs through appropriate channels and urge them to make
sure this issue is on the ministers' lunch agenda, with
sufficient time and attention for Amado to lay out his
proposal.
PRE-ORDER NOW TO GET THE BEST DEAL
--------------
6. (C/NF) Macieira also presented a set of conditions under
which Portugal would accept detainees. Most important was
the provenance of the detainee. For a variety of reasons,
but mainly not to offend someone or other, Portugal will not
accept detainees from: China (Uighurs),Morocco, Algeria,
Libya, Palestine, Syria, Afghanistan, or Pakistan. Detainees
from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, or Tunisia would be fine. All
others might be considered. Portugal will also not accept a
detainee who has "been in Portugal," which Macieira explained
to mean that the GOP would seek assurances that the detainee
had not transited Portugal on his way to Guantanamo.
COMMENT
--------------
7. (C/NF) We are gratified that the GOP and Minister Amado in
particular continue to demonstrate strong leadership within
the EU on the detainee issue. As we have heard from others,
Macieira believes that this is a gesture that could help
strengthen relations between Europe and the new U.S.
administration, and one on which Europe should be helpful for
humanitarian reasons, if nothing else. The GOP's eagerness
to make us aware of its conditions for accepting detainees
shows that it basically wants to shop before the sale
officially starts and pick the "best" cases. It would be
surprising if other willing European governments do not start
doing the same.
BALLARD
NOFORN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/21/2019
TAGS: PGOV PTER PO
SUBJECT: PORTUGAL TO SEEK EU POLITICAL ENDORSEMENT OF
DETAINEE RESETTLEMENT
REF: 08 LISBON 2769
Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, A.I. DAVID BALLARD, FOR 1.4 B AND D.
1. (U) This is an action request. See para 5.
2. (C/NF) SUMMARY. Portuguese MFA Deputy Political Director
Rui Macieira told DCM January 20 that Portugal will seek
during the January 26 GAERC to obtain clear EU "political
endorsement" to allow willing member states to accept
Guantanamo detainees. The Portuguese proposal is that the
EU, including the Commission and Secretariat, provide a
political blessing that allows each member state interested
in accepting detainees to work bilaterally with the U.S. to
do so. Macieira also asked for U.S. assistance in
encouraging the Czechs to ensure that this subject is on the
agenda for the ministers-only lunch, where Portuguese FM Luis
Amado intends to raise it. Finally, Macieira laid out a set
of "conditions" under which Portugal would itself accept
detainees, including a list of nationalities that Portugal
would not/not accept for a variety of reasons. END SUMMARY.
3. (C/NF) In a short meeting on January 20, MFA Deputy
Political Director Rui Maciera told DCM that he had been
instructed by Political Director Nuno Brito and FM Luis Amado
to inform us that Portugal intended to use the January 26
GAERC to raise the issue of EU member states accepting
Guantanamo detainees and to seek clear, formal "political
endorsement" from the EU, including the Commission and
Secretariat, for the proposal. Similar to the EU's blanket
cover regarding Kosovo recognition that emerged during
Portugal's presidency in the second half of 2007, Portugal's
goal is an EU "blessing" that allows each willing member
state to work out the details of detainee resettlement with
the United States. (Note, in the wake of FM Amado's December
10 letter to the other EU Foreign Ministers, reftel,
Portuguese contacts told us Amado had not fully articulated
his strategy on detainees, but notionally envisioned
developing an EU "framework" for accepting them. Clearly,
Portuguese thinking is now more advanced, and they are
looking for a mere EU blessing that allows bilateral
agreements to take place without drama).
4. (C/NF) Macieira said that FM Amado hoped to be able to
bring up the issue during the ministers-only lunch, mainly
because of the presence of Steinmeier and Kouchner, who were
known to be more favorable to accepting detainees than others
in their governments. He said Portugal thought it also had
Italian support, but it was not solid.
5. (C/NF) Action request: Macieira asked us to encourage the
Czechs to ensure that this issue would be on the agenda for
the lunch and to allow Minister Amado sufficient time to
raise and discuss it. Post recommends that we approach the
Czechs through appropriate channels and urge them to make
sure this issue is on the ministers' lunch agenda, with
sufficient time and attention for Amado to lay out his
proposal.
PRE-ORDER NOW TO GET THE BEST DEAL
--------------
6. (C/NF) Macieira also presented a set of conditions under
which Portugal would accept detainees. Most important was
the provenance of the detainee. For a variety of reasons,
but mainly not to offend someone or other, Portugal will not
accept detainees from: China (Uighurs),Morocco, Algeria,
Libya, Palestine, Syria, Afghanistan, or Pakistan. Detainees
from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, or Tunisia would be fine. All
others might be considered. Portugal will also not accept a
detainee who has "been in Portugal," which Macieira explained
to mean that the GOP would seek assurances that the detainee
had not transited Portugal on his way to Guantanamo.
COMMENT
--------------
7. (C/NF) We are gratified that the GOP and Minister Amado in
particular continue to demonstrate strong leadership within
the EU on the detainee issue. As we have heard from others,
Macieira believes that this is a gesture that could help
strengthen relations between Europe and the new U.S.
administration, and one on which Europe should be helpful for
humanitarian reasons, if nothing else. The GOP's eagerness
to make us aware of its conditions for accepting detainees
shows that it basically wants to shop before the sale
officially starts and pick the "best" cases. It would be
surprising if other willing European governments do not start
doing the same.
BALLARD