Obama, lawmakers ready to renew push to shutter Guantánamo Bay prison [View all]

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Source: The Hill

As President Obama gears up for a new push to close Guantánamo Bay, lawmakers from both parties are skeptical the president will be successful in persuading Congress to shutter the facility.

Obama is delivering a speech on national security Thursday, where White House officials say he will detail efforts to fulfill a vow that he made in the first week of his presidency.

The president is making a new push after Congress blocked attempts to close Guantánamo during his first term and placed additional restrictions on sending detainees out of the facility.

While supporters of closing the prison are encouraged by the president’s pledge to return to the issue, they say they haven’t yet heard how he will win over lawmakers opposed to his detention policies.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/301203-obama-lawmakers-ready-to-renew-push-to-shutter-guantanamo-bay

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The Wall Street Journal also reports (need to click article from a search engine) "Obama Restarts Bid to Close Guantanamo", cited by the AFP. Reuters has just reported "U.S. military lawyers put more pressure on Guantanamo":

Military and civilian lawyers for prisoners at the Guantanamo naval base urged U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to improve conditions for detainees, putting more pressure on the Obama administration to make good its promise to close the camp.

The plea from 18 lawyers representing "high-value" prisoners came before a speech by President Barack Obama on Thursday when he will address counterterrorism measures such as drone strikes and closing Guantanamo.