2 Uzbeks from Guantanamo prison arrive in Ireland; Amnesty asks other EU nations to do more

September 30th, 2009 List shows 75 Gitmo prisoners cleared for releaseSAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — At least 75 Guantanamo detainees have been cleared for release by a task force sorting through the remaining prisoners as part of the Obama administration's effort to shutter the jail, according to a list released Monday by the U.S. military. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Brook DeWalt, a spokesman for the prison that now holds about 223 men, said the list written in Arabic, Pashto and English was posted in common areas throughout the isolated detention camps.

September 26th, 2009 3 Gitmo prisoners transferred to Ireland, YemenWASHINGTON — With the closing of the Guantanamo Bay prison by a January deadline in doubt, the Justice Department Saturday announced the transfer of three detainees to the governments of Yemen and Ireland. Alla Ali Bin Ali Ahmed, a Yemen native, was returned to his homeland after being imprisoned for seven years.

September 25th, 2009 AP sources: Guantanamo may not close by JanuaryWASHINGTON — The White House is acknowledging for the first time that it might not be able to meet President Barack Obama's January deadline for closing the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay.

September 4th, 2009 Belgium to take in 1 former Guantanamo inmateBRUSSELS — The Belgian government says it has accepted a U.S. request to take in one detainee from U.S.

August 7th, 2009 Portugal taking 2 Syrian Guantanamo detaineesLISBON, Portugal — Portugal has agreed to take two Syrian detainees from Guantanamo on humanitarian grounds, the government said Friday — becoming the third EU nation to accept inmates from the U.S. military prison.

July 29th, 2009 Ireland to take 2 Guantanamo inmatesDUBLIN — Ireland has agreed to accept two inmates from the Guantanamo prison camp in Cuba within the next two months, Irish Justice Minister Dermot Ahern announced Wednesday. Ahern said the two men belong to a group of about 50 prisoners who are "no longer regarded as posing a threat to security but who cannot return to their own countries." The United States has appealed to European Union countries to give most or all of those men sanctuary, but until now only France has stepped forward to accept a specific detainee.

July 29th, 2009 Europe's role in closing Gitmo gets Irish boostDUBLIN — Ireland's agreement Wednesday to take two homeless Guantanamo prisoners demonstrates that patient diplomacy between the United States and Europe is starting to play its part in shutting down the notorious U.S. prison. Daniel Fried, the Obama administration's special envoy tasked with closing the camp, is back in Europe this week seeking to build on a European Union agreement clearing the way for any member of the 27-nation bloc to accept prisoners who could face persecution in their homelands..

June 17th, 2009 MADRID - The US has asked Spain to take four detainees from its Guantanamo prison camp when it is closed next year, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said Wednesday. Moratinos spoke in Madrid after Spanish government representatives met Daniel Fried, the US special envoy for closing Guantanamo.

June 17th, 2009 US asks Spain to take 4 inmates from GuantanamoMADRID — The United States has asked Spain to accept four prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay prison for terrorism suspects, the foreign minister said Wednesday. Miguel Angel Moratinos said Spain will respond when it has studied the legal consequences of taking them in and the circumstances of those four people.

June 17th, 2009 US asks Spain's help to close GuantanamoMADRID — The United States has asked Spain to accept four prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay prison for terrorism suspects, the foreign minister said Wednesday. Miguel Angel Moratinos said Spain will respond when it has studied the legal consequences of taking them in and the circumstances of those four people.

June 15th, 2009 Italy open to taking 3 Guantanamo detaineesWASHINGTON — Italy says it is open to taking at least three detainees from Guantanamo. An aide to Premier Silvio Berlusconi said Monday the topic will likely come up during the Italian leader's meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House later in the day.

June 4th, 2009 EU expects to take 'several dozen' from GuantanamoLUXEMBOURG — European Union countries are likely to take in "several dozen" former prisoners from the U.S. detention center in Guantanamo Bay, an EU official said Thursday.

May 10th, 2009 Cheney derides idea of closing Guantanamo prisonWASHINGTON — Former Vice President Dick Cheney says transferring suspected terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to the United States would be a bad idea. The Obama administration has pledged to close the military prison in Cuba and raised the possibility of transferring some inmates to this country.

May 6th, 2009 France says it will take Algerian from GuantanamoPARIS — France says it will take in an Algerian who has been held prisoner by the United States at Guantanamo Bay for the past seven years. Lakhdar Boumediene was arrested along with five other Algerians in 2001 in Bosnia, suspected in a bomb attack plot against the U.S.

April 29th, 2009 Amnesty: Obama sends mixed message on human rightsLONDON — President Barack Obama has not yet managed to shake off the legacy of torture, impunity and unlawful detention he inherited from the previous U.S. administration, a leading human rights organization said Wednesday.