Obama's Next Executive Order: Closing Guantanamo Bay

Obama's Next Executive Order: Closing Guantanamo Bay
Fecha de publicación: 
7 May 2015
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The United States Press Secretary Josh Earnest said on Wednesday that President Barack Obama's next executive order will be closing the Guantanamo Bay prison.

"The President has indicated a willingness to use as much of his executive authority as he can to try to take the steps that he believes are consistent with the national security interests of the United States and that's closing the prison of Guantanamo Bay,” Earnest said in a response to a question by a foreign reporter on the issue.

Shutting down the prison of Guantanamo Bay was one of Obama's presidential campaign promises in 2008. However, almost seven years into his presidency, Obama failed to follow through on his promise citing resistance from the U.S. Republican lawmakers who oppose the closure of the prison.

"Unfortunately, we've not seen cooperation from Congress in this regard. In fact, we've seen members of Congress repeatedly go to great lengths to prevent the closure of the prison at Guantanamo Bay,” Earnest added.

RELATED: UN Torture Monitor Is Refused Access to Guantanamo

The statement by Ernest comes days after retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens said that some of the 800 detainees in the Pentagon’s prison camps in Cuba were entitled to compensation as they were deemed not a threat to the U.S. security.

“I by no means suggest that every Guantanamo detainee, such as those who have been convicted by a military commission, is entitled to compensation,” Stevens said Monday during an event in Washington. “But detainees who have been deemed not to be a security threat to the United States and have thereafter remained in custody for years are differently situated.”

The Pentagon is in fact racing to transfer more than 57 detainees, who fall under the category Stevens mentioned, before the U.S. Congress moves to approve a legislation adopted by the Republican-led House Armed Services Committee which would put restrictions on those transfers.

The legislation, if authorized, would require that the U.S. Defense Department certify the detainees dangerousness has been mitigated and ban their resettlement to certain countries were they would likely join terror groups, Like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan or Yemen.

Stevens, a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, called the detention center a “wasteful extravagance” that should be closed “as promptly as possible.”

Shutting down the prison of Guantanamo bay was one of Obama's presidential campaign promises in 2008. The United States Press Secretary Josh Earnest said on Wednesday that President Barack Obama's next executive order will be closing the Guantanamo Bay prison. "The President has indicated a willingness to use as much of his executive authority as he can to try to take the steps that he believes are consistent with the national security interests of the United States and that's closing the prison of Guantanamo Bay,” Earnest said in a response to a question by a foreign reporter on the issue. Shutting down the prison of Guantanamo Bay was one of Obama's presidential campaign promises in 2008. However, almost seven years into his presidency, Obama failed to follow through on his promise citing resistance from the U.S. Republican lawmakers who oppose the closure of the prison. "Unfortunately, we've not seen cooperation from Congress in this regard. In fact, we've seen members of Congress repeatedly go to great lengths to prevent the closure of the prison at Guantanamo Bay,” Earnest added. RELATED: UN Torture Monitor Is Refused Access to Guantanamo The statement by Ernest comes days after retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens said that some of the 800 detainees in the Pentagon’s prison camps in Cuba were entitled to compensation as they were deemed not a threat to the U.S. security. “I by no means suggest that every Guantanamo detainee, such as those who have been convicted by a military commission, is entitled to compensation,” Stevens said Monday during an event in Washington. “But detainees who have been deemed not to be a security threat to the United States and have thereafter remained in custody for years are differently situated.” The Pentagon is in fact racing to transfer more than 57 detainees, who fall under the category Stevens mentioned, before the U.S. Congress moves to approve a legislation adopted by the Republican-led House Armed Services Committee which would put restrictions on those transfers. The legislation, if authorized, would require that the U.S. Defense Department certify the detainees dangerousness has been mitigated and ban their resettlement to certain countries were they would likely join terror groups, Like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan or Yemen. Stevens, a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, called the detention center a “wasteful extravagance” that should be closed “as promptly as possible.”

This content was originally published by teleSUR at the following address:
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Obamas-Next-Executive-Order-Closing-Guantanamo-Bay-20150507-0007.html. If you intend to use it, please cite the source and provide a link to the original article. www.teleSURtv.net/english

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