Report: Spain May Take 5 Guantanamo Detainees

Spain is ready to take between three and five inmates from Guantanamo Bay, the El Pais newspaper reported Wednesday, citing government officials.

A U.S. embassy statement said Daniel Fried, the government's point man for closing Guantanamo, was to meet with officials of the foreign, interior and justice ministries early Wednesday to discuss procedures under which Spain might accept the prisoners.

But the foreign ministry could not confirm the El Pais report about how many if any detainees Spain might be prepared to take.

"Spain will study the proposal from the U.S. government with interest and will try to help to solve the issue of Guantanamo, international and local law permitting," Reuters reported a foreign ministry spokesman as saying.

Spain has said it is not opposed to accepting prisoners but has stressed that it depends on the legal status of the detainees.

Fried is expected to leave Spain later Wednesday and visit other European countries that have expressed willingness to accept detainees as part of plans to close the prison in 2010.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.