The Netherlands is considering taking in some Guantánamo Bay prisoners in order to help United States President Barack Obama close the controversial detention centre where terrorist suspects have been held - most without trial - for several years.

In January this year, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende had refused to do so, but after talks with President Barack Obama at the White House on Tuesday he reluctantly admitted that he would think about taking some Guantanamo Bay detainees provided 'there are not too many'. In an interview with Radio Netherlands Worldwide this month he already hinted opening up a discussion about the Guantánamo Bay detainees.

Barack Obama announced when he came to office in January that the controversial military prison would be closed. But now he is struggling with the problem of what to do with the prisoners that need to leave the camp on Cuba. A group of 60 detainees is still waiting for an alternative location (i.e. country) that will take them. Europe considers its open borders a problem when it comes to taking in such prisoners. However, individual EU countries - including France, the United Kingdom and Portugal – have agreed to help.
 
Firm 'No'
But the Netherlands stood firm with its ‘no’ right from the outset in January. In a letter sent that month to the Dutch parliament’s Lower House, Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen wrote that the US couldn't count on Dutch support in this matter. His words met with criticism from the progressive democrat D66 and conservative VVD opposition parties, and one of the three coalition parties, Labour.

The government line then was that the US would have to solve this problem by itself. Minister Verhagen said it was unclear which prisoners would be involved. Even though a great many of them have not been convicted of any crime, he said they were not all going to be ‘goody-two-shoes’.
 
Frown
The response from the EU in Brussels was a frown. How could the Netherlands take such a firm – and negative - stance at such an early stage? Politically speaking it was regarded by many as a foolish move, certainly as far as maintaining the good relationship with the US is concerned. In addition to that, the view among diplomats was that the Netherlands should be try its very best in this respect, for is The Hague not, after all, the city of peace and justice, with its international courts and tribunals?
 
The new change of position by the Netherlands on taking in some Guantanamo prisoners will meet with opposition from certain quarters in parliament. From Geert Wilders' currently popular Freedom Party (PVV), for example. That party is firmly against offering a home to such ex-detainees. Even if many of them are not suspected of terrorism, the party doesn't want them. The PVV sees no reason to let these people in because they don't have any ties with the Netherlands.

G-20
During Mr Balkenende’s brief time at the White House, the matter of the coming September G-20 summit in Pittsburgh came up. Although the Netherlands is not a member of that group, Barack Obama invited the Dutch prime minister to attend. The US president also expressed his appreciation for the Dutch effort in Afghanistan.
 
Prime Minister Balkenende repeated that the Netherlands will leave the Afghan province Uruzgan next year as a ‘leading nation’ but that it would not turn its back on the Afghan people, a clear hint that the Netherlands will probably continue to play some kind of role – albeit small – in Afghanistan.

RNW translation (LvdH/TPF)

lead photo: ANP