VZCZCXRO9529
PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSL
DE RUEHTI #0776/01 3411500
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 071500Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8632
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 3602
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 2546
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0855
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 TIRANA 000776 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/05/2019 
TAGS: KDRG PREL PTER PINR PREF PGOV AL
SUBJECT: GOA AGREES TO ACCEPT MORE GUANTANAMO DETAINEES 
 
Classified By: Ambassador John L. Withers, reasons 1.4 (b), (c) and (d) 
 
 ¶1. (S/NF) SUMMARY: During meetings with Special Envoy 
Daniel Fried on December 2, Prime Minister Sali Berisha 
agreed to accept for resettlement at least three and up to 
six Guantanamo detainees, provided "they are not 
ethnic-Uighurs and are not too dangerous."  In separate 
meetings with the Prime Minister and Interior Minister, S/E 
Fried explained the timeline and process for release of 
detainees, as well as what would be expected of Albania 
should more detainees be resettled here.  Both Interior 
Minister Basha and PM Berisha gave their assurances that 
the GOA will do all it can to successfully integrate the 
detainees into Albanian society, while also keeping a close 
watch over them.  S/E Fried also raised with MoI Basha 
several outstanding issues regarding the former Uighur 
detainees 
currently residing in Albania.  MoI Basha assured S/E Fried 
that work permits and residency documents will be issued and 
renewed as soon as possible.  S/E Fried made clear to both 
the PM and Interior Minister that he understood the limited 
resources the GOA could apply to these resettlements and 
would not attempt to urge more detainees on 
the GOA than it could reasonably accept.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Meeting With PM Berisha 
----------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) S/E Fried thanked the Prime Minister for his 
willingness to meet with him and to consider 
resettling more Guantanamo detainees.  S/E Fried said that 
he had identified a number of detainees that fit the 
criteria outlined by PM Berisha during a September meeting 
on the margins of UNGA: "no ethnic-Uighurs and no very 
dangerous people."  Minister Basha, who previously met with 
S/E Fried, handed the PM the files 
for nine detainees which S/E Fried had provided.  S/E Fried 
highlighted three from that list who seem the best fit 
the PM's stated criteria.  S/E Fried told the PM that 
resettling detainees "will be a lot of work" and said the 
U.S. would count on GOA support for an effective 
resettlement.  He told the PM "you must be comfortable with 
the process.  Don't take on more than you can handle." 
 
¶3.  (C) PM Berisha said "regarding the three detainees you 
highlighted, we can take them tomorrow."  He said he would 
be willing to accept up to six detainees total, provided 
they fit the GOA's "not-too-dangerous, not-ethnic-Uighur" 
criteria.  Berisha said he will accept anyone deemed 
suitable for release to Albania by the USG, adding that he 
doesn't anticipate any political fallout in Albania coming 
from any further resettlements.  Berisha assured S/E Fried 
that the GOA will be able to cover all resettlement and 
security costs itself, and said that financial assistance 
from the U.S. or other countries would not be necessary. 
 
Interior Minister Basha 
----------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C) In his earlier meeting, S/E Fried provided Minister 
Basha with the files for nine detainees and urged Minister 
Basha to look them 
over in detail before the GOA makes any decisions.  S/E 
Fried explained in detail the release procedures for 
detainees, and walked Basha through U.S. expectations of 
the GOA in the event Albania agrees to resettle more 
detainees.  S/E Fried told Basha that once resettled, the 
detainees would need to be watched and noted 
that the USG would stay in close consultation with the GOA on 
security measures. 
 
¶5.  (C) Basha admitted that Albania has limited resources, 
but assured S/E Fried that the GOA was doing its best to 
provide for the former detainees currently living in 
Albania and would provide for any future resettlees.  He 
highlighted that the GOA is housing the previously 
transferred detainees under watch and providing for their 
welfare.  Basha noted that the GOA is coming into this 
decision with a long-term outlook for a comprehensive 
resettlement of any detainees it resettles.  While agreeing 
with PM Berisha's decision not take any U.S. funding so as 
not to detract from the GOA's gesture, Basha 
said he would ask the PM to reconsider accepting money that 
had been offered by Luxembourg to help defray resettlement 
 
TIRANA 00000776  002 OF 002 
 
 
costs (NOTE: PM Berisha concluded that the GOA would accept 
no financial assistance whatsoever). 
 
¶6.  (S/NF) COMMENT:  As always, the Albanians are willing 
to go the extra mile to assist with one of our key foreign 
policy priorities.  The detainees that they will consider 
are likely to meet their "not-too-dangerous" concerns and 
contain no ethnic-Uighurs, and they will certainly take on 
board a number of these.  As S/E Fried noted, however, they 
should do so in the context of a realistic appraisal of 
their resettlement resources and their monitoring 
capacities.  In this light, the PM's willingness to accept 
six is a gracious, but probably extravagant offer.  If he 
ultimately sees his way to providing for three, he will 
have made a helpful, but realistic contribution.  S/GC 
assesses that the GOA will resettle three detainees based on 
these constraints. 
WITHERS