Blair Insists That British Guatanamo Detainees be Returned

[Radagast]

Moazzam Begg and Feroz Abbasi are among the four detainees
Tony Blair has asked US president George Bush to send home UK detainees from the Guantanamo Bay prison camp.

His request is included in court papers outlining the UK Government's defence against action by two of the detainees.

Feroz Abbasi and Martin Mubanga are seeking a court order to require UK authorities to make a formal demand for their return from Cuba.

The papers say a judicial review is not necessary, because the government has already requested their release.

They read: "The UK Government is continuing to seek the return of the four remaining detainees and the prime minister has made a direct request to President Bush to that effect."

A Downing Street spokesman refused to say when Mr Blair raised Guantanamo with President Bush.

He said talks about the four British detainees had taken place at many levels of the British and American governments.

"The negotiations have been led by the attorney general, but it's something the PM has raised with the president and we've said that in the past.

"Discussions have been ongoing with the US for a long time and we continue to work to resolve the situation."

Details of the papers, filed at the High Court, follow concerns over planned military tribunals for the terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay.

The UK Government has always voiced reservations over the trial plans.

In a speech on Friday, attorney general Lord Goldsmith argued there could be "no compromise" on certain principles and the US tribunals would not offer a fair trial.

BBC correspondent Jon Manel said the papers had to be seen in the context of negotiations over British citizens in the Guantanamo Bay camp.

But he added: "What this shows is how negotiations have been evolving.

"We now know that the government is very disillusioned with the military commissions and has requested that the detainees be returned."

President Bush announced plans for the military commissions to try 600 detainees at Camp Delta last July.

Britons Feroz Abbasi from Croydon, south London, and Moazzam Begg, from Birmingham, were on the initial list of six to be tried under the controversial set-up.

But they have now been taken off the list while discussions continue between the US and UK about the future of all the British detainees.

Five other Britons were returned to Britain in March and were quickly freed without charge.

[Janny]

I don't get this. Not least as it came out in a conservative newspaper.
Does this mean Mr Blair is not a poodle and not always following Mr Bush and did something out of morality and not made a show of it?