Jun 13, 2016
An anonymous source close to President Barack Obama revealed that he does not plan to issue an executive order to shutter the notorious detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, more than eight years after he first campaigned on a promise to close the military prison, Reutersreported Monday.
"It was just deemed too difficult to get through all of the hurdles that they would need to get through, and the level of support they were likely to receive on it was thought to be too low to generate such controversy, particularly at a sensitive [time] in an election cycle," the source said.
"With executive action off the table, then, Mr. Obama would have to get full Congressional approval to close the prison," the Independent noted.
"Putting the decision in the Congress' hands would lessen the chances of closure," the newspaper continued. "Republicans in Congress oppose the motion to bring the remaining 80 prisoners to maximum security prisons in the U.S.--while also opposing the transfer of prisoners to prisons in other countries, citing concerns of releasing prisoners to conduct militant extremist activity."
Obama's most recent effort to close the prison by simply relocating the detainees to U.S.-based prisons was dismissed by human rights activists as "no viable solution" to unconstitutional, indefinite detentions, as Common Dreams reported in February. The president's proposal languished in Congress.
Rights advocates have repeatedly criticized the president for failing to shut the prison and end indefinite detentions.
Indeed, earlier this year, an attorney with UK-based human rights group Reprieve said, "I remember 22 January 2009 very clearly--we were so hopeful that finally the nightmare would be over and my clients--and all those other men held without charge or trial at Guantanamo--would be able to go home. It is hard to believe that, seven years later [...] Gitmo remains very much open for business."
And so as the curtain closes on Obama's presidency, it appears that despite repeated pleas from human rights groups and detainees' family members, not to mention from Cuban president Raul Castro, one of the president's most celebrated campaign promises from 2008 will remain unfulfilled.
Join Us: Everything is on the Line
The future of all that we cherish is on the line and we have to fight like hell to protect democracy, human decency, and a liveable planet. The last line of defense is people who understand what’s at stake—activists, writers, thinkers, doers, and everyday people who see what is happening, know in their hearts that a better world is possible, and are willing to fight for it. You are one of the good people Common Dreams was built for. We provide independent news, progressive opinion, and crucial analysis on the day’s most important issues. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. But to keep publishing and remain strong in these dangerous times, we need your support. So we’re asking you today: Will you donate to our Fall Campaign and keep the progressive, nonprofit journalism of Common Dreams alive? |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
An anonymous source close to President Barack Obama revealed that he does not plan to issue an executive order to shutter the notorious detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, more than eight years after he first campaigned on a promise to close the military prison, Reutersreported Monday.
"It was just deemed too difficult to get through all of the hurdles that they would need to get through, and the level of support they were likely to receive on it was thought to be too low to generate such controversy, particularly at a sensitive [time] in an election cycle," the source said.
"With executive action off the table, then, Mr. Obama would have to get full Congressional approval to close the prison," the Independent noted.
"Putting the decision in the Congress' hands would lessen the chances of closure," the newspaper continued. "Republicans in Congress oppose the motion to bring the remaining 80 prisoners to maximum security prisons in the U.S.--while also opposing the transfer of prisoners to prisons in other countries, citing concerns of releasing prisoners to conduct militant extremist activity."
Obama's most recent effort to close the prison by simply relocating the detainees to U.S.-based prisons was dismissed by human rights activists as "no viable solution" to unconstitutional, indefinite detentions, as Common Dreams reported in February. The president's proposal languished in Congress.
Rights advocates have repeatedly criticized the president for failing to shut the prison and end indefinite detentions.
Indeed, earlier this year, an attorney with UK-based human rights group Reprieve said, "I remember 22 January 2009 very clearly--we were so hopeful that finally the nightmare would be over and my clients--and all those other men held without charge or trial at Guantanamo--would be able to go home. It is hard to believe that, seven years later [...] Gitmo remains very much open for business."
And so as the curtain closes on Obama's presidency, it appears that despite repeated pleas from human rights groups and detainees' family members, not to mention from Cuban president Raul Castro, one of the president's most celebrated campaign promises from 2008 will remain unfulfilled.
An anonymous source close to President Barack Obama revealed that he does not plan to issue an executive order to shutter the notorious detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, more than eight years after he first campaigned on a promise to close the military prison, Reutersreported Monday.
"It was just deemed too difficult to get through all of the hurdles that they would need to get through, and the level of support they were likely to receive on it was thought to be too low to generate such controversy, particularly at a sensitive [time] in an election cycle," the source said.
"With executive action off the table, then, Mr. Obama would have to get full Congressional approval to close the prison," the Independent noted.
"Putting the decision in the Congress' hands would lessen the chances of closure," the newspaper continued. "Republicans in Congress oppose the motion to bring the remaining 80 prisoners to maximum security prisons in the U.S.--while also opposing the transfer of prisoners to prisons in other countries, citing concerns of releasing prisoners to conduct militant extremist activity."
Obama's most recent effort to close the prison by simply relocating the detainees to U.S.-based prisons was dismissed by human rights activists as "no viable solution" to unconstitutional, indefinite detentions, as Common Dreams reported in February. The president's proposal languished in Congress.
Rights advocates have repeatedly criticized the president for failing to shut the prison and end indefinite detentions.
Indeed, earlier this year, an attorney with UK-based human rights group Reprieve said, "I remember 22 January 2009 very clearly--we were so hopeful that finally the nightmare would be over and my clients--and all those other men held without charge or trial at Guantanamo--would be able to go home. It is hard to believe that, seven years later [...] Gitmo remains very much open for business."
And so as the curtain closes on Obama's presidency, it appears that despite repeated pleas from human rights groups and detainees' family members, not to mention from Cuban president Raul Castro, one of the president's most celebrated campaign promises from 2008 will remain unfulfilled.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.