Obama Makes Plans to Shutter Guantanamo

[liz_marcs]

Looks like at least one campaign promise is going to be fulfilled.

You might say this was "my issue" in the election.

From Time:

WASHINGTON — President-elect Obama's advisers are quietly crafting a proposal to ship dozens, if not hundreds, of imprisoned terrorism suspects to the United States to face criminal trials, a plan that would make good on his promise to close the Guantanamo Bay prison but could require creation of a controversial new system of justice.

During his campaign, Obama described Guantanamo as a "sad chapter in American history" and has said generally that the U.S. legal system is equipped to handle the detainees. But he has offered few details on what he planned to do once the facility is closed.

Under plans being put together in Obama's camp, some detainees would be released and many others would be prosecuted in U.S. criminal courts.

A third group of detainees — the ones whose cases are most entangled in highly classified information — might have to go before a new court designed especially to handle sensitive national security cases, according to advisers and Democrats involved in the talks. Advisers participating directly in the planning spoke on condition of anonymity because the plans aren't final.

The move would be a sharp deviation from the Bush administration, which established military tribunals to prosecute detainees at the Navy base in Cuba and strongly opposes bringing prisoners to the United States. Obama's Republican challenger, John McCain, had also pledged to close Guantanamo. But McCain opposed criminal trials, saying the Bush administration's tribunals should continue on U.S. soil.

The plan being developed by Obama's team has been championed by legal scholars from both political parties. But it is almost certain to face opposition from Republicans who oppose bringing terrorism suspects to the U.S. and from Democrats who oppose creating a new court system with fewer rights for detainees.

Laurence Tribe, a Harvard law professor and Obama legal adviser, said discussions about plans for Guantanamo had been "theoretical" before the election but would quickly become very focused because closing the prison is a top priority. Bringing the detainees to the United States will be controversial, he said, but could be accomplished.

More here

Thank God.

Comments

[thistlerose.livejournal.com]

Hello there, habeas corpus. I've missed you these past eight years.

[liz-marcs.livejournal.com]

I can actually understand the tough situation he's got with the "third class" of prisoners — the ones where we're legitimately uncertain about. Although I suspect this "third class" is going to be a hell of a lot smaller under Obama than it would've been under Bush.

Plus — they'll be here on U.S. soil. That means sunlight and that means (hopefully) their basic human rights will be respected.

[ladycat777.livejournal.com]

*points up* That's how I feel. There are legitimate murky issues, here, and certain individuals who don't fall under one definition or the other. Something different has to be done for them, and it may not be... nice.

But whereas Bush was interested in either crucifying them all, or unwilling to seriously consider how to deal with the issue, I think Obama is, and has a better idea of how to actually handle it. And I absolutely agree the number will be smaller. After so long, hopefully evidence has been found to lean them more firmly on, or off of the 'murky' list.

All of this is in not even a week. Now, granted, nothing's done. But still -- a week and we've got pretty solid ideas of what he wants to do. I am seriously impressed.

[jakeexperience.livejournal.com]

Can I get a "heck yeah"?

[angevin2.livejournal.com]

That is fantastic news.

[unusualmusic.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. Oh yes. The sun is rising, it's shining...


EDIT(Thats me celbrating the news, by the way:)

[skipp-of-ark.livejournal.com]

About time. The Bush administration's idea of how to deal with terrorism suspects has always seemed like it was lifted from a bad comic book.

[dawnmipb.livejournal.com]

He's going to move quickly on a lot of things, from what I read in the paper this morning. That scares me a little, because it was wild, absolute and unthinking reversals that got us in the mess we're in. ("Clinton did it? Consider it UNDONE!")

But he appears to me to be someone who thinks, so I'm gutchecking and watching right now.

Guantanamo needs shut down and yesterday, though.

[hendrikboom.livejournal.com]

Maybe wild, absolute, and thinking reversals?

[m-mcgregor.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. I'm very concerned about these latest statements from Obama. Reversing the ban on stem-cell research funding and releasing prisoners from Guantanamo Bay? Doesn't anyone realize what a recipe for disaster this will be?

Just think about it: entire armies of free-roaming prisoners let loose into the world. Once they were safely detained without any rights in an island prison, but now, thanks to Obama, they're free to pillage, loot, and terrorize the entire world.

Only it's worse than that. They aren't just an army of terrorists. They're an army of unkillable genetic super-terrorists! Thanks to our wanton disregard for the sanctity of life, the mad scientists' (there are no other kind of scientists, so that's a bit redundant) incredible breakthroughs in organ regeneration and disease immunity means these terrorists can regenerate from any wound and are immune to any chemical weapons.

Obama has created the perfect storm! We're all doomed!

(PS: Hooray!)

[texanfan.livejournal.com]

That is good news.