Emptying Guantanamo

Last week I noticed the apparently hypocritical refusal of Britain, Germany, and other American allies critical of the Guantanamo prison camp to permit prisoners with residency or citizenship in those countries to return there, all the while complaining about the exisitence of the prison's existence.

But the United States' allies decided a leak offensive regarding thesee Guantanamo releases can go both ways. In an article in today's L.A. Times, I see claims that the real issue seems to be that these countries balked at the extensive security measures that the United States (Donald Rumsfeld himself!) was "requiring" these countries exercise over Guantanamo prisoners before their release would be permitted.

Today, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales went to Germany and stated that American allies are to blame for not closing Guantanamo:

"We have repeatedly asked our European allies to join in these efforts," Mr. Gonzales said in a speech to a polite, skeptical audience. "But despite demands that Guantanamo be closed, the United States has received little help from our European allies regarding the fate of these detainees."

Though the visit is cast in terms of "healing a rift," it doesn't seem like this is what's happening. If this was really going to get resolved in a peaceful way, it would be done behind the scenes. In addressing this through public speeches, the Bush Administration is trying to put pressure on Germany and its other allies to surveil former Guantanamo prisoners in the way Americans would want in exchange for their release.