OWTF!!!

[lame54]

OBAMA - WHAT THE FUCK!!!

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/01/obama-administration-expanding-guantnamo-bay-nyt/

Forget closing Guantánamo Bay -- President Barack Obama has reportedly green-lighted a plan to begin charges against new detainees at the controversial off-shore prison for the first time under his administration.

"The Obama administration is preparing to increase the use of military commissions to prosecute Guantánamo detainees, an acknowledgment that the prison in Cuba remains open for business after Congress imposed steep new impediments to closing the facility," the New York Times reported.

Administration officials told the newspaper they were preparing military tribunal trials for several suspected terrorists at the prison, signaling a major policy shift for Obama in the face of high pressure from Congressional Republicans and numerous Democrats.

The ban would soon be officially lifted by Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

As a presidential candidate, Obama promised to close Guantánamo, arguing in part that it had become a worldwide symbol of a United States gone morally awry. He appeared to be making good on his pledge when he ordered the detention facility shut during his first week in office, explicitly banning its use for more suspects...

[Proud Liberal Dem]

1. His hands are kind of tied right now, aren't they?

:shrug:

Congress has prevented him from moving the prisoners anywhere and I believe that they even prevented him from putting them on trial anywhere in the US (though I could be mistaken about that). You DID read about his "signing statement" attacking the limitations on his ability to close Gitmo, right?

[lame54]

2. Anything in there about him expanding it?...

thanks for the unrec

[Proud Liberal Dem]

3. It wasn't me (the unrec)

As for your question, I didn't see anything in the article about him "expanding" Gitmo. All I saw was about him increasing the use of military tribunals, which, although distasteful, still provides some due process. I feel pretty confident that as soon as he can do something more about the situation he will. He's in a heckuva bind due to NIMBY Dems

[NYC Liberal]

4. CWTF!!!

CONGRESS - WHAT THE FUCK!!!

Obama signed the order to shut down Guantanamo. Congress refused to fund it.

[MilesColtrane]

5. It's true that the military has been prohibited from transferring Guantanamo detainees...

to the U.S. for civilian trials by the Defense Authorization Act of 2011, but...

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2011/0107/Obama-blasts-Congress-s-limits-on-Guantanamo-transfers

the President needs to take the ACLU's advice and turn these people over to Homeland Security or the Justice Department to get them into the Federal Courts.

If his logic is ANY sort of trial is better than indefinite detention, I do not agree.