FED: Strict conditions for terror prisoner resettlement: Gillard
02 Jan 2009 9:14 AM
Subject: FED: Strict conditions for terror prisoner resettlement: Gillard FED: Strict conditions for terror prisoner resettlement: Gillard
MELBOURNE, Jan 2 AAP - Terror suspects held at the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay would only be resettled to Australia after a rigorous assessment process, the federal government says.
Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Australia, along with a number of other countries, had been approached to consider resettling detainees from Guantanamo Bay.
This comes as US president-elect Barack Obama plans to shut the prison, located at a US sovereign naval base in Cuba, within two years.
"Any determination for an individual to come to Australia would be made on a case-by-case basis," Ms Gillard said in a statement.
"For anyone to be accepted they would have to meet Australia's strict legal requirement and go through normal rigorous assessment processes."
The Times of London reported on Thursday that Britain was preparing to take Guantanamo Bay detainees to allow the Obama administration to shut down the prison.
AAP mok/mh/srp =0A
FED: Strict conditions for terror prisoner resettlement: Gillard