Closing Guantánamo Fades as a Priority

[spanone]

republicans win again......

WASHINGTON — Stymied by political opposition and focused on competing priorities, the Obama administration has sidelined efforts to close the Guantánamo prison, making it unlikely that President Obama will fulfill his promise to close it before his term ends in 2013.

When the White House acknowledged last year that it would miss Mr. Obama’s initial January 2010 deadline for shutting the prison, it also declared that the detainees would eventually be moved to one in Illinois. But impediments to that plan have mounted in Congress, and the administration is doing little to overcome them.

“There is a lot of inertia” against closing the prison, “and the administration is not putting a lot of energy behind their position that I can see,” said Senator Carl Levin, the Michigan Democrat who is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and supports the Illinois plan. He added that “the odds are that it will still be open” by the next presidential inauguration.

And Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who also supports shutting it, said the effort is “on life support and it’s unlikely to close any time soon.” He attributed the collapse to some fellow Republicans’ “demagoguery” and the administration’s poor planning and decision-making “paralysis.”

The White House insists it is still determined to shutter the prison. The administration argues that Guantánamo is a symbol in the Muslim world of past detainee abuses, citing military views that its continued operation helps terrorists.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/26/us/politics/26gitmo.html?ref=global-home&pagewanted=print

[Swamp Rat]

1. k&r

[burnsei sensei]

2. It's still a priority for me.

We can't afford off-shore prisons any more than we can afford off-shore deep water drilling for oil.

[babylonsister]

3. Riddle me this. WHY is it on life support? Spineless Dems and

rethugs who want to obstruct every damned thing Obama wants to do.

[metapunditedgy]

8. If Obama really wants to do this, he can name names. Who specifically

(which people, using what leverage) is fighting against his efforts to close Guantanamo? Let Americans know what's going on. Maybe we can help.

[babylonsister]

11. Here's why...

Obama Administration's Plan to Close Embattled Prison Stuck in Political, Legal Limbo

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Media/obama-plan-close-guantanamo-stuck-political-legal-limbo/story?id=10752684

[Solly Mack]

4. k/r

[metapunditedgy]

5. So what is this "inertia?" Who is really fighting to keep it open?

Enough of this hand-wringing BS about how the laws of physics just unfortunately prevent Gitmo from closing. Who the hell is fighting to keep it open??? Who???

[babylonsister]

12. Congress is...

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Media/obama-plan-close-guantanamo-stuck-political-legal-limbo/story?id=10752684

[metapunditedgy]

14. And how has Obama called Congress out on this? Whose ass does he kick?

And who specifically (name or names) are holding this up?

[KonaKane]

6. Perhaps you should be emailing all the conservatives who are blocking the relocation

of some prisoners to Illinois.

[spanone]

10. perhaps we all should

[Taverner]

7. They will close Gitmo when Cheney dies

Mark my word

[babylonsister]

13. ?? I don't think it's being kept open because darth is alive.

:tinfoilhat:

[Taverner]

16. Cheney's got his minions all over the DOJ and CIA

Once he goes, the dragon loses its head and plans can proceed - I hope

[KonaKane]

9. I recommend keeping Guantanamo open only to house Cheney.

A la Rudolf Hess and Spandau prison.

[tekisui]

15. It obviously hasn't been a priority for a long time.