President Obama, speaking at the National Archives, defended and reaffirmed his pledge to close the Guantanamo Bay detainee facility, saying that the prison "has weakened American national security." The president argued that harsh interrogation methods such as waterboarding hindered rather than aided anti-terrorism efforts. He stated that detainees can be securely held in U.S. maximum security prisons and that no detainees who would endanger Americans will be released. He outlined a five-category classification system for dealing with remaining detainees. The president also defended his decisions to declassify Bush administration interrogation memos and to withhold photographs of detainees' abuse by members of the U.S. military.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney defended Bush Administration interrogation methods of terrorist suspects and prisoner treatment at the Guantanamo Bay detainee facility. He maintained that Bush administration actions prevented terrorist attacks subsequent to September 11, 2001. He criticized recent Obama administration moves to change Bush administration interrogation policies.
President Obama is rapidly becoming Bush’s student. He is following the initial bailout and then tripling down on the monies. His foreign policy is close if not identical to Bush’s ranging from Iraq to North Korea. His plans to close GITMO are nothing more than renaming GITMO but still treating the prisoners basically the same. He will hold some indefinitely without charges and continue to try and release some just as Bush. Sounds like redefining terrorism as “Man caused disasters”. He suffers a setback when his Congress refuses to appropriate money to relocate the GITMO detainees. His plan to satisfy congress by moving them to supermax prisons here is falling apart as one of the intended prisons said they have room for just one prisoner. Could this be the beginning of his continuing the Bush legacy by keeping GITMO? It sounds like the rhetoric of “Hope and Change” has hit reality. Won’t this drive the left crazy!
Comments
antoin Mon. May. 25, 08:14pm EST#1
Mike Davis Mon. May. 25, 09:50pm EST#2
John Eric Braun Tue. May. 26, 10:24am EST#3