Obama On Closing Gitmo: ‘I’m Going To Go Back At This’

[hughee99]

110. It seems even the Democrats who voted against it didn't think it was a good idea,

to close the camp without any plan on what to do with the prisoners. I don't think it's unreasonable of congress to ask what is going to be done with the prisoners BEFORE providing the funds to close the camp? I think 4 years should be enough time to at least come up with a plan.

For weeks, Republicans have opposed Obama's plan, voicing concern that the administration has not said what will happen to the approximately 240 detainees housed at the center.

"The president, unwisely, in my view, announced an arbitrary timeline for closing Guantanamo of next January without a plan to deal with the terrorists who are incarcerated down there," said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.

House Democrats have similar concerns; they refused to include the $80 million requested by the administration to close the facility in the war spending bill. Senate Democrats initially included the money in their $91.3 billion version of the measure, but then stripped it out by a 90-6 vote on May 20.

"This is neither the time nor the bill to deal with this," said Democratic leader Harry Reid. "Democrats under no circumstances will move forward without a comprehensive, responsible plan from the president," though Reid stressed that he still believes closing the facility is a good idea.



But I think most people's issue with the whole thing is this part where, in the presidents own EO, he plans for a periodic review of prisoners that the US is holding without charges because those individuals "in effect, remain at war with the US".

"On March 7, 2011, President Barack Obama signed an executive order making a number of changes to policies regarding those detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In a reversal of his previous policy, the order resumes military trials for Gitmo detainees. It also establishes a "periodic review" process for long-held Guantanamo detainees who have not been charged, convicted or designated for transfer, "but must continue to be detained because they 'in effect, remain at war with the United States,'" according to a White House fact-sheet."