President Barack Obama on Tuesday proposed to “once and for all” close the U.S. military detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and transfer remaining detainees to a facility in the United States. Since 2002, 779 people have been detained there; fewer than 100 remain.

“For many years it’s been clear that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay does not advance our security,” Obama said in a White House press conference. “It undermines it.”

“Fifteen years after [the 9/11 attacks] we’re still having to defend a facility where not a single verdict has been reached in those attacks. Not a single one. When I first ran for president it was widely recognized that this facility needed to close. … There was bipartisan support to close it.”

From AP:

Obama’s plan faces resistance from Congress and has also been criticized by the Center for Constitutional Rights as offering “too little, too late.”

–Posted by Roisin Davis

 Wait, before you go…

If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface.  We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.

Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.

Support Truthdig
In this Article:
#barack obama#cuba#guantanamo bay#human rights#military#prison#war on terror