GOA AGREES TO ACCEPT MORE GUANTANAMO DETAINEES

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 TIRANA 000776

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/05/2019
TAGS: KDRG PREL PTER PINR PREF PGOV AL
SUBJECT: GOA AGREES TO ACCEPT MORE GUANTANAMO DETAINEES

Classified By: Ambassador John L. Withers, reasons 1.4 (b),(c) and (d)


1. (S/NF) SUMMARY: During meetings with Special Envoy
Daniel Fried on December 2, Prime Minister Sali Berisha
agreed to accept for resettlement at least three and up to
six Guantanamo detainees, provided "they are not
ethnic-Uighurs and are not too dangerous." In separate
meetings with the Prime Minister and Interior Minister, S/E
Fried explained the timeline and process for release of
detainees, as well as what would be expected of Albania
should more detainees be resettled here. Both Interior
Minister Basha and PM Berisha gave their assurances that
the GOA will do all it can to successfully integrate the
detainees into Albanian society, while also keeping a close
watch over them. S/E Fried also raised with MoI Basha
several outstanding issues regarding the former Uighur
detainees
currently residing in Albania. MoI Basha assured S/E Fried
that work permits and residency documents will be issued and
renewed as soon as possible. S/E Fried made clear to both
the PM and Interior Minister that he understood the limited
resources the GOA could apply to these resettlements and
would not attempt to urge more detainees on
the GOA than it could reasonably accept. END SUMMARY.

Meeting With PM Berisha
--------------


2. (C) S/E Fried thanked the Prime Minister for his
willingness to meet with him and to consider
resettling more Guantanamo detainees. S/E Fried said that
he had identified a number of detainees that fit the
criteria outlined by PM Berisha during a September meeting
on the margins of UNGA: "no ethnic-Uighurs and no very
dangerous people." Minister Basha, who previously met with
S/E Fried, handed the PM the files
for nine detainees which S/E Fried had provided. S/E Fried
highlighted three from that list who seem the best fit
the PM's stated criteria. S/E Fried told the PM that
resettling detainees "will be a lot of work" and said the
U.S. would count on GOA support for an effective
resettlement. He told the PM "you must be comfortable with
the process. Don't take on more than you can handle."


3. (C) PM Berisha said "regarding the three detainees you
highlighted, we can take them tomorrow." He said he would
be willing to accept up to six detainees total, provided
they fit the GOA's "not-too-dangerous, not-ethnic-Uighur"
criteria. Berisha said he will accept anyone deemed
suitable for release to Albania by the USG, adding that he
doesn't anticipate any political fallout in Albania coming
from any further resettlements. Berisha assured S/E Fried
that the GOA will be able to cover all resettlement and
security costs itself, and said that financial assistance
from the U.S. or other countries would not be necessary.

Interior Minister Basha
--------------


4. (C) In his earlier meeting, S/E Fried provided Minister
Basha with the files for nine detainees and urged Minister
Basha to look them
over in detail before the GOA makes any decisions. S/E
Fried explained in detail the release procedures for
detainees, and walked Basha through U.S. expectations of
the GOA in the event Albania agrees to resettle more
detainees. S/E Fried told Basha that once resettled, the
detainees would need to be watched and noted
that the USG would stay in close consultation with the GOA on
security measures.


5. (C) Basha admitted that Albania has limited resources,
but assured S/E Fried that the GOA was doing its best to
provide for the former detainees currently living in
Albania and would provide for any future resettlees. He
highlighted that the GOA is housing the previously
transferred detainees under watch and providing for their
welfare. Basha noted that the GOA is coming into this
decision with a long-term outlook for a comprehensive
resettlement of any detainees it resettles. While agreeing
with PM Berisha's decision not take any U.S. funding so as
not to detract from the GOA's gesture, Basha
said he would ask the PM to reconsider accepting money that
had been offered by Luxembourg to help defray resettlement

TIRANA 00000776 002 OF 002


costs (NOTE: PM Berisha concluded that the GOA would accept
no financial assistance whatsoever).


6. (S/NF) COMMENT: As always, the Albanians are willing
to go the extra mile to assist with one of our key foreign
policy priorities. The detainees that they will consider
are likely to meet their "not-too-dangerous" concerns and
contain no ethnic-Uighurs, and they will certainly take on
board a number of these. As S/E Fried noted, however, they
should do so in the context of a realistic appraisal of
their resettlement resources and their monitoring
capacities. In this light, the PM's willingness to accept
six is a gracious, but probably extravagant offer. If he
ultimately sees his way to providing for three, he will
have made a helpful, but realistic contribution. S/GC
assesses that the GOA will resettle three detainees based on
these constraints.
WITHERS