First Guantanamo prisoner arrives in Spain - Summary

Madrid - An inmate from the US detention facility in Guantanamo, Cuba, arrived Wednesday in Spain, Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said. The Palestinian man was the first of up to five inmates Spain has agreed to receive, in an attempt to help US President Barack Obama close the prison camp.

Rubalcaba did not give details about the prisoner's arrival, but the daily El Periodico de Catalunya said he was due to be flown in on a US military plane. An additional three Guantanamo detainees were taken on the same plane to Albania.

US State Department spokesman PJ Crowley confirmed the transfers, telling reporters in Washington the number of prisoners remaining at Guantanamo had been reduced to 188.

"We are grateful to both nations and their governments for their willingness to support US efforts to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay," he said.

The Palestinian from Gaza had lived in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, where he was detained and handed over to the United States, Palestinian officials said earlier.

Rubalcaba declined to reveal the man's identity for what he described as security reasons and to protect his privacy.

The daily El Mundo, however, identified the man as 29-year-old Walid Hijazi.

The United States believes Hijazi to have received military training at the same al-Qaeda camp in Afghanistan as several of the perpetrators of the attacks of September 11, 2001 in the US, according to the daily.

Hijazi denies having links with terrorism.

Rubalcaba said the Palestinian would get a residence permit, the possibility to work and freedom of movement within Spain, though Guantanamo prisoners taken by European countries could not leave those countries.

Spain only accepted prisoners with no criminal charges in the European Union, the United States or their countries of origin, the minister said.

Other Guantanamo inmates were also expected to arrive in Spain shortly, Periodico said. They were believed to include a Syrian and a Yemeni citizen.

The prisoners will be placed under surveillance not only to protect the Spanish public, but also to protect the individuals from eventual al-Qaeda reprisals over their possible revelations to US intelligence services, according to the daily.

The inmates were to be placed in different locations under the care of non-governmental organizations.

Spain is among the European countries to accept the most prisoners from Guantanamo. Obama's self-imposed deadline for its closure passed in January.

The Spanish EU presidency has encouraged other EU countries to take detainees from the prison camp.

Spanish-US relations have improved after cooling under Obama's predecessor George W Bush, who was angered by Spain's decision to recall its troops from Iraq.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/311129,first-guantanamo-prisoner-arrives-in-spain--summary.html.