The Foreign Office last night refused to rule out suggestions that Britain could volunteer to take in foreign terror suspects from Guantanamo Bay, but dismissed speculation as "overblown".
The Foreign Office last night refused to rule out suggestions that Britain could volunteer to take in foreign terror suspects from Guantanamo Bay, but dismissed speculation as "overblown".
Barack Obama, the incoming US President, has made clear he wants to shut down the Cuban-based prison camp, which still houses 248 suspected terrorists.
Offers from countries to take the remaining inmates could help Mr Obama speed up closure of the camp as he begins his term in office and help draw a line under what has become a major bone of contention with humanitarian groups and a number of foreign governments.
Portugal has offered to take some of the detainees and is calling on other EU states to do the same.
Speculation that the UK Government is willing to accommodate foreign prisoners from Guantanamo Bay was raised yesterday after an unnamed Whitehall source was quoted as saying: "Of course, the Foreign Office wants to do it; they want to get off to a good start with Obama. This is the sort of thing that will require a Cabinet-level decision."
This prompted William Hague, the shadow foreign secretary, to call on David Miliband to clarify Whitehall's position.
He said: "The foreign secretary must explain urgently whether this is true, how many Guantanamo inmates would be admitted to Britain, by what criteria they would be selected and what assurances would be given about their behaviour in the future."
However, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Office insisted the claims that Britain was minded to take in foreign terror suspects from Guanatanamo Bay were "a lot overblown". She said: "Our policy has not changed."
The Foreign Office acknowledged the US authorities would need "assistance from allies and partners" to close down Guantanamo.
The spokeswoman went on: "We have long pressed the US for release of British nationals and residents. To date, we have got all nine British nationals back as well as four former residents.
"We continue to press for release of the two remaining former British residents, Binyam Mohamed and Shaker Aamer."
