Category: DEFENSE

Close Guantanamo Bay Detention Center

"As president, I will close Guantanamo, reject the Military Commissions Act and adhere to
the Geneva Conventions."
-- Washington, D.C.
AUGUST 10, 2007

Progress Reports

JANUARY 11, 2010

Guantanamo Turns 8 Amid Protest

As the Guantanamo Bay detention center enters its ninth year of use, the Obama
administration is still undecided about what to do with the detainees and how to replace
the facility.

The activist group Witness Against Torture chose the anniversary to protest outside the
White House dressed as hooded detainees, demanding that Obama close the prison. The
group has also planned a hunger strike for 12 days until Jan. 22 -- the deadline Obama set
for closing the prison shortly after he took office.

Some critics like Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., are opposed to trying detainees in
American criminal courts or releasing them to countries such as Yemen, where the
attempted Christmas Day terrorist plot was allegedly planned.

According to recent polling, more Americans are willing to keep the detention center
open now than in November.
JANUARY 10, 2010
Alleged Christmas Bomber Will Not Go To Guantanamo

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is being held in a federal prison in Michigan and will
likely be tried in U.S. District Court in Detroit after his arrest in an apparent attempt to
blow up an airliner on Christmas Day. Several legal and international policy experts say
that since the crime was committed in Michigan airspace and he was arrested when he
landed, he should be tried in Michigan.
DECEMBER 22, 2009
Prison Won't Close Until 2011 At Earliest

The Obama administration is struggling to find funds to replace Guantanamo Bay

prison, a stumbling block that will likely delay the shuttering of the prison until 2011 at
the earliest.
 DECEMBER 15, 2009
Gitmo Prisoners May Be Moved To Illinois

Obama has ordered an Illinois prison to accept prisoners transferred from Guantanamo,
but the move will be subject to congressional approval.
NOVEMBER 18, 2009
Prison Will Not Close By January

Obama admitted today that Guantanamo Bay prison will not close by his January 2010
deadline, and while he said he hoped to shutter it sometime next year, he declined to
give a new deadline.

"People, I think understandably, are fearful after a lot of years where they were told that
Guantanamo was critical to keep terrorists out," Obama said. Closing the prison is "also
just technically hard," he added
NOVEMBER 13, 2009
9/11 Conspirators to Be Tried in New York City

Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder have announced that Khalid Shaikh
Mohammed and four accused 9/11 co-conspirators currently detained at Guantanamo
Bay will be tried in a federal civilian court in New York City.
AUGUST 20, 2009
Administration Secures Relocation Options for Detainees

Ten European countries, including Britain, Ireland and Spain, have told the Obama
administration they are willing to accept Guantanamo Bay detainees, the Washington
Post reports. The administration has also had positive talks with several other European
Union nations, as well as Australia and Georgia. However, the Post adds, more than half
the 229 detainees have not had their cases reviewed, and officials have not decided what
to do about longer-term detainees or those who would be prosecuted.
MAY 20, 2009
Senate Denies Funding

The Senate voted 90-6 on Tuesday to deny funding in the supplemental for closing
Guantanamo Bay. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said they wouldn't approve the
funding until the administration comes up with a plan for relocating detainees.
MAY 05, 2009
Lawmakers Reject Funding

House Appropriations Chairman David Obey rejected (subscription) the administration's

request for $80 billion to shut down Guantanamo Bay.

"I personally favor what the administration's talking about doing, but so far as we can tell
there is yet no concrete program for that," Obey said. "And while I don't mind defending
a concrete program, I'm not much interested in wasting my energy defending a
theoretical program."
APRIL 30, 2009
$80 Billion Wanted To Shut Down Gitmo

In its FY09 supplemental spending bill, the administration is asking for $80 million to
begin shutting down the Guantanamo Bay facility and start relocating detainees. But
lawmakers expressed concern (subscription) about a lack of details surrounding the
closure. Senate Appropriations Chairman Daniel Inouye said that many of his colleagues
want to know the "precise plan" for closing the facility before they can support funding.

The funding requests $30 million for the Justice Department to review the 240 detainees
and $50 million to the Defense Department to relocate the detainees.
MARCH 13, 2009
'Enemy Combatant' Term Dropped, Detention Powers Remain

In response to inquiries from federal judges into the government's legal basis for holding
detainees at Guantanamo, the Justice Department abandoned the term "enemy
combatant." The administration maintained, however, the broad right to detain terrorism
suspects who "substantially supported" al-Qaeda and the Taliban, according to a court
filng to the judges.
MARCH 12, 2009
Special Envoy Appointed

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton appointed longtime diplomat Daniel Fried
to be the full-time envoy to Guantanamo Bay. Fried will be responsible for negotiating
the transfer of detainees. Before taking this position, Fried was the top U.S. diplomat to
Europe, serving as the assistant secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.
JANUARY 22, 2009
Issues Executive Orders To Close Gitmo And Address Consequences

Obama signed an executive order to close the detention facilities at the Guantanamo Bay
Naval Base in the next year and review every detainee for disposition. He also
established two special task forces to address detention policy options and interrogation
and transfer policy.

JANUARY 21, 2009

Obama Drafts Executive Order To Close Gitmo

Obama drafted an executive order today to close the Guantanamo Bay facility within a
year. When the order will be issued, however, has not been specified.
JANUARY 15, 2009
Closing Guantanamo May Not Happen In First 100 Days

Obama has made closing the prison facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a high priority.
But it's "more difficult than I think a lot of people realize," Obama said Jan. 11 on "This
Week," and it is unlikely to happen within the first 100 days. He stressed that "our legal
teams are working in consultation with our national security apparatus as we speak to
help design exactly what we need to do." Attorney General-designate Eric Holder
echoed Obama’s statements at his confirmation hearing Jan. 15. He said the process will
take an "extended period," which will prevent closing the facility "as quickly as we
would like." He reiterated, however, that the administration still plans on closing it.
http://promises.nationaljournal.com/defense/close-guantanamo-bay-detention-center/