BOSNIA - COUNCIL OF MINISTERS TO DECIDE SOON ON

S E C R E T SARAJEVO 000066 NOFORN SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR S/WCI (WILLIAMSON/VIBUL-JOLLES),EUR(JONES), AND EUR/SCE (FOOKS/STINCHCOMB) E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/15/2019 TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL PTER BK SUBJECT: BOSNIA - COUNCIL OF MINISTERS TO DECIDE SOON ON ALGERIAN DETAINEES REF: STATE 3113 Classified By: Ambassador Charles English for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (S/NF) The Ambassador met separately on January 13 with Foreign Minister Sven Alakalaj and Prime Minister Nikola Spiric to deliver the diplomatic note in reftel regarding Bosnia's willingness to accept two Algerian Guantanamo detainees, Sabir Lahmar Manfud and Lakhdar Boumedienne. The Ambassador noted that the U.S. understood Bosnia must make its decision based on what is allowed by Bosnian law, and said that a decision to accept the two detainees, if it were possible according to Bosnian law, would be very much welcomed because of the pressure the USG is under to release the two detainees quickly. ¶2. (S/NF) FM Alkalaj said he would pass the note on to other members of the Council of Ministers, who would make the final decision. PM Spiric noted that the Bosnian Government's working group on the detainees had already provided analysis of these cases to the Council of Ministers. Spiric said he understood the urgency of the issue, and added that he expected to obtain an official decision by the Council of Ministers either this week or next. ENGLISH