Seven Britons held without trial at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay were offered new hope of an early release on Friday after Washington appeared to soften its stance.
A U.S. diplomat was reported in British newspapers as saying the suspects, held as “enemy combatants,” could be repatriated if Britain is able to “manage” them after their return.
“We are prepared to arrange their transfer home for detention or prosecution or other actions depending on individual circumstances,” Pierre-Richard Prosper, the U.S. ambassador at large for war crimes, said at a briefing at the U.S. Embassy, according to the Times of London.
He said there were no plans to return Moazzam Begg and Faroz Abassi, two more Britons whom the U.S. authorities categorize as high-risk prisoners.
Newspapers interpreted his comments as meaning the Britons could be home within weeks.
Foreign Office: Deal not imminent
But the Foreign Office said a deal was not imminent. “When we’ve got something to say, we’ll say it. We need to be patient,” a spokesman said.
Prime Minister Tony Blair’s spokesman would not comment, saying the Britons’ fate was a matter for the prosecuting authorities.
One government source said talk of a deal was “premature” and that agreement could be weeks or months away.
A lawyer representing Abassi’s mother said it appeared the United States was keen for a quick deal, but that the British government was blocking it.
“I am worried that the home secretary (Interior Minister David Blunkett) is standing in the way of them being brought back here,” lawyer Louise Christian told Reuters. “He doesn’t want the responsibility.”
The nine Britons are among 660 detainees being held without charge at the U.S. naval base in Cuba.
Camp opened in January 2002
It was set up in January 2002 to hold combatants captured in Afghanistan and also houses others suspected of having links with Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network, which carried out the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C.
Their treatment has appalled human rights groups who believe the prisoners will be deprived of a fair trial.
Amnesty International urged Blair to close the “legal black hole” in which the detainees find themselves in a letter delivered to his Downing Street office on Friday.
“We have urged that he call on the U.S. government to ensure legal representation and fair trials are the bottom line not just for the nine Britons but for all 650-plus detainees,” Amnesty UK director Kate Allen said.
President Bush has adopted a more conciliatory tone on international affairs in recent months. Analysts say ongoing violence in Iraq has underlined Washington’s need for international cooperation.
Rights activists said they saw a softening of the U.S. stance and a desire in Washington to repatriate the Britons.
“Everybody’s getting tired of these negotiations,” said Stephen Jakobi, director of Fair Trials Abroad, a London-based group. “We are hitting some sort of endgame.”
Azmat Begg, the father of detainee Moazzam Begg, said he was “shocked” that the fate of his son and hundreds of others was unclear after nearly two years.
