Not Quite British Enough

The United States Government's representative in Europe has refused to allow the return of nine British residents, or to be more precise nine former British residents, or to be absolutely fair nine potential failed asylum seekers and possible terrorists, who are at present being entertained in the Guantánamo Bay anomaly. According to the British authorities, the men have no legal right to return, whereas the US authorities do have a legal right to detain them indefinitely without charge, because the White House says so. Besides, even if the men were released, the Americans would want them kept under twenty-four-hour surveillance, an act of public protection for which MI5 has neither the manpower nor the appetite. "They do not pose a sufficient threat" to be allowed home, according to the head of counter-terrorism at the Home Office. It is also feared that "human rights legislation", that well-known and perennial obstruction to British justice and common sense, could get in the way of our deporting the men to countries where they might one day be treated as badly as the Americans are treating them now.

Although some of the men are married to British citizens, or have British citizens as children, siblings or other tribal relationships, at least one of them shows a grasp of British values which seems tenuous at best.