February, 23 2016, 11:30am EDT
ACLU Statement on Obama's Guantanamo Closure Plan
The White House released a plan today to close the prison at Guantanamo.
Anthony D. Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, had this reaction:
"President Obama deserves high praise for trying to make good on his promise to close Guantanamo and erase the stain on America's moral standing at home and abroad. The president is also right on the money when he says that the best venue for prosecuting present and future terrorism cases is our tried and tested federal courts.
WASHINGTON
The White House released a plan today to close the prison at Guantanamo.
Anthony D. Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, had this reaction:
"President Obama deserves high praise for trying to make good on his promise to close Guantanamo and erase the stain on America's moral standing at home and abroad. The president is also right on the money when he says that the best venue for prosecuting present and future terrorism cases is our tried and tested federal courts.
"But, his decision to preserve the Bush-created military commissions is a mistake. The Guantanamo military commissions are an abject failure. They have never worked, are not working, and will never work, even with President Obama's well-intentioned reforms. Additionally, the president's continuing embrace of indefinite detention without charge or trial will tarnish his legacy."
More information is at:https://www.aclu.org/closegitmo
This statement is at:https://www.aclu.org/news/aclu-statement-guantanamo-closure-plan
The American Civil Liberties Union was founded in 1920 and is our nation's guardian of liberty. The ACLU works in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.
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'Shameful': Columbia Greenlights Police Crackdown on Anti-War Encampment
Even after dozens of students were arrested, hundreds "rushed to take the place of their classmates" and continued the protest.
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Columbia President Minouche Shafik informed the campus community on Thursday that she had authorized the police to clear the encampment.
As it has been in the past, the school has become a center of anti-war protests—and crackdowns by school officials and the police—since Israel began its bombardment of Gaza in October.
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New York City Council member Tiffany Cabán was among those who condemned the university's crackdown on the protests on Thursday.
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