Portugal: Europe should take Gitmo detainees

The US would like to release some of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, but have a big problem to resolve: where will they go?  Some of the home countries won’t take back suspected terrorists, showing a great deal more sense than some Americans.  Some would have to return to countries who want them back a little too much, like the Chinese Uighers that will almost certainly face torture.  A few nations, notably Yemen, can’t be trusted to keep terrorists locked up.

With international pressure and a building domestic consensus demanding the closure of Gitmo, who will take its detainees?  Portugal says today that Europe should volunteer:

European Union countries should offer to take in any detainees released from the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo, Portugal’s foreign minister said in a letter published Thursday.

Portugal is willing to grant asylum to Guantanamo detainees who cannot return to their home countries, Foreign Minister Luis Amado said in the letter sent to his EU counterparts. …

EU nations agree the prison should be closed. But human rights campaigners have said many inmates would face persecution if sent back to their home countries.

Amado said the EU “should send a clear signal of our willingness to help the U.S. government resolve this problem, namely by taking in the detainees,” according to the letter.

Well, I’d trust them more than I’d trust Yemen to keep an eye on these detainees, but that’s not saying much.  I give Portugal high marks for offering more than just criticism from the cheap seats, though.  If they’re willing to take the Uighers and other detainees in limbo, then we should facilitate that transfer.

Will the rest of Europe take Amado’s challenge?  I’m skeptical.  Europe talks about how they support the war in Afghanistan against radical Islamist terrorists, but most refuse to engage in actual combat, with the notable exceptions of France, the UK, and our non-European partners in Canada and Australia.  Somehow I get the feeling that they’ll offer the same kind of limited enthusiasm for releasing Gitmo detainees — insistent on it happening, and equally insistent on avoiding any risk to themselves while scoffing at American security concerns.

Maybe Europe will surprise us.  I have a feeling they’ll disappoint Portugal instead.