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Obama's closure of Guantanamo already in sight

by Brenda Yun (RSS feed) on Jan 22nd 2009 at 10:30AM

The Castro brothers in Cuba extended a warm welcome to Obama into the political limelight. This message was relayed through Argentina's President, Cristina Kirchner, who recently returned to Buenos Aires after a brief visit to Havana.

Within 24 hours, Obama has already halted proceedings involving two Guantanamo detainees and intended to close Guantanamo by the end of the year -- and likely much earlier.

While most would like to see Gitmo gone as soon as possible, it appears there is a slew of red tape that could slow this process:

the decision must be made at the Cabinet level, and Clinton has been reluctant to conform to Obama's views of Guantanamo in particular
the prisoners will be displaced and moved to several other prisons around the world, which still remains a logistical question mark
legal actions on all 200+ detainees must first be issued before official closure can occur

Amid the increased attention on Obama, Fidel and Raúl Castro, and Guantanamo, there still remains an awkward silent treatment among all parties. Obama has yet to open talks with Castro (or vice versa) and Gitmo prisoners are showing their displeasure through hunger strikes and complaints of harsh mistreatment.

Right now, Gitmo and relations between America and Cuba as a whole remains a "wait-and-see" endeavor, but with Obama comes a dramatic changing of the guard that could soften the strained emotions all are feeling right now.

[via the New York Times and AFP]

Filed under: History, Learning, Festivals and Events, Stories, South America, Cuba, United States, Argentina, News

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Ryan Jan 22nd 2009 10:58AM

What's the point in closing down Guantanamo only to move the prisoners elsewhere?

Joe Jan 23rd 2009 5:27AM

It's a legal and political blackhole. The reason they were put in Gitmo in the first place is so they couldn't be tried under Constitutional, military, or international law. Its closing means the prisoners will have their day in court, evidence will be presented, and they will have the opportunity to present a defense.

In Gitmo none of this is present. Then we can honestly say the US does not torture. Instead of trying to justify by calling it something other than torture.

Kathy Jan 30th 2009 3:00PM

Do you honestly believe these detainees will be treated fairly in a real prison? 9-11 affected more than just the US. Some of them WILL be killed in American prisons. There's bound to be someone in prison that had a family memeber or friend die on 9-11. How long was Dahmer in prison before he was murdered? In GITMO it's just them. Over 200 people that are either terrorists, thought to be terrorists, or have strong ties to terrorists. Here's what I'd call it, "justifyable homocide". Why is it ok to pawn them off on other countries? What will they be tried under then? Who will give them their trial?

juv Apr 5th 2009 1:59AM

Not all of them are terrorists. A lot were just sold to the US for the $5000 checks we were offering (several years income). Wouldn't you turn over that guy down the street you hate for a few years income?

And then what happens is you have a few baddies in there and they radicalize the innocent ones because we give them no hope. The radicals give them religion and hope. So then they go to Iraq or whatever and kill us when originally they were not a terrorist.

What Obama will do is get them from legal quick sand and into a trial. Weed out the innocents, prosecute the baddies and we all win. But what we don't want is to make them all suffer. It doesn't do anything. And also if we kill them, they get exactly what they want: martyrdom.