EU deal is reached on Guantanamo detainees

The agreement does not specify which nations will take former inmates or how many. It leaves the decision up to each nation. Italy will accept three detainees.
By Sebastian Rotella 6:56 PM PDT, June 15, 2009
Reporting from Madrid -- European Union and U.S. representatives reached an agreement Monday in which European nations can receive inmates cleared for release from the prison at Guantanamo Bay.Separately, President Obama said in Washington that Italy would accept three detainees. He made the announcement after meeting with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in the Oval Office.

The EU agreement, announced after a meeting of the 27 European Union foreign ministers in Brussels, repeats previous statements about how Europe and the United States will work together to close Guantanamo. The announcement did not specify which nations would take former inmates or how many. It left the decision up to each nation, many of which oppose taking former prisoners -- especially because of U.S. reluctance to do the same.But European officials said Monday's move is positive because of a U.S. pledge to share all intelligence, including confidential information, on each potential transfer. The United States also has agreed to consider compensating governments for the expense incurred in housing and monitoring former inmates.Intensified talks are expected as U.S diplomats visit nations that are open to helping resettle about 60 detainees who are cleared for release but cannot return to their homelands because of human rights issues.
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said he looked forward to working "in a positive sense" with Washington to craft a plan specifying how many inmates Spain would be asked to take, Spanish news reports said.Other nations were more reserved. The British government, which has already accepted 14 returnees, repeated its stance that it would not take more.