WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has named an envoy to work with other countries to accept detainees from Guantanamo Bay in order to close the prison in a year, a spokesman said yesterday.
Clinton, who says she is encouraged by European willingness to receive such prisoners, asked Dan Fried, the assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, to serve in the new post, spokesman Robert Wood said.
Wood, the State Department spokesman, said “the secretary has determined we need to intensify our efforts to facilitate the transfer of detainees” to meet President Barack Obama’s commitment to close the prison within a year.
“She therefore has asked Ambassador Dan Fried, a seasoned diplomat with a strong record of accomplishment, to lead a dedicated team to address this issue full-time,” said Wood who read a statement at the daily press briefing.
“Ambassador Fried’s extensive experience will be an invaluable asset as we seek the assistance of foreign governments in moving toward the closure of the detention facility,” said Wood.
He said in the last few years the ambassador-at-large for war crimes and his staff have worked on negotiating transfers, even though the office also works full time on war crimes issues.
“This shift provides the benefit of also ensuring that the ambassador-at-large and his team can devote their full attention to war crime matters,” he added.
He said Fried will stay in his position as assistant secretary for Europe and Eurasian Affairs until the person tapped to replace him, Phil Gordon, is confirmed by the Senate.
The State Department also said the new position does not have to be confirmed by the Senate.
