Wikileaks: US advises Belgium on how 'to attain prominence in Europe'

This really is priceless.

The leaked cables appear to reveal discussions between various countries on whether they would take prisoners released from the Guantánamo Bay detention facility:

When American diplomats pressed other countries to resettle detainees, they became reluctant players in a State Department version of “Let’s Make a Deal.” Slovenia was told to take a prisoner if it wanted to meet with President Obama, while the island nation of Kiribati was offered incentives worth millions of dollars to take in Chinese Muslim detainees, cables from diplomats recounted. The Americans, meanwhile, suggested that accepting more prisoners would be “a low-cost way for Belgium to attain prominence in Europe. ...”

If nothing else, this is quite an enlightening insight into how the US views EU politics and relations between member states: take a low-threat Guantánamo terrorist inmate; give him a few fancy chocolates when he lands in Brussels; the Belgian prime minister (when they have one) gets to shake hands with the President of the Untied States; and France, Germany and the UK will bow down in awe and wonder.

It will take rather more than that for Belgium to attain prominence in Europe.

But this was the 'low-cost' option.

Alternatively, they could incur huge debt, say 11 times the size of GDP; bankrupt their national treasury; make pledges to creditors which amount to 220 per cent of the country’s annual economic output; call in the IMF and the ECB; arrange a bail-out; and then default on their agreements.

Belgium will then be as prominent as Greece and Ireland.

But that is the 'high-cost' option.

As the US State Department points out, taking a Guantánamo inmate is a lot cheaper.

Unless, of course, he starts blowing you up.