Wire: China Protests Obama's Palau Resettling of Guantanamo Detainees

Off the Wire:

WASHINGTON, June 11, 2009 -- Newswire services reported this morning that Palau's president said Thursday his tiny Pacific nation will take in 17 Chinese Muslims who are in limbo at Guantanamo Bay, but China called them "terrorist suspects" and demanded they be sent home.

The Associated Press reported that Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a news conference the United States should "stop handing over terrorist suspects to any third country, so as to expatriate them to China at an early date." He did not say if China would take any action in response.

AP reported Wednesday that two U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. was prepared to pay Palau up to $200 million in development, budget support and other assistance in return for accepting the detainees and as part of a mutual defense and cooperation treaty that is due to be renegotiated this year.

This is a developing story.

(Report from newswire sources.)

Sources:
China objects to Palau resettling Guantanamo men
Obama to Pay Palau to Take Guantanamo's Chinese detainees

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