Closing Guantanamo Bay

[Cheshire Cat]

The Pentagon has revealed that a plan in in place that will hasten the closure of the long controversial Guantanamo Bay prison.  It is also discussing the release of the 72 individuals currently being held.  Interesting developments.

http://www.mintpressnews.com/guantanamo-bay-closure-picking-up-speed-finally/170471/   (click link for full story)

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon made two long-awaited announcements this week toward an eventual closure of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, underlining a mounting seriousness over President Barack Obama's repeated promises to shutter the facility.

On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel appointed a special envoy to oversee this work, filling a key position that has remained vacant since the president announced its creation in May. Paul Lewis, a former U.S. Marine and longtime congressional lawyer, will now join a counterpart envoy at the State Department, Clifford Sloan (appointed in June), on both the Guantanamo closure and figuring out what to do with foreign prisoners in Afghanistan as the U.S. military withdraws there.

Then on Wednesday, the Pentagon confirmed for the first time that a formal process is now underway to determine which, if any, of those being "indefinitely detained" at Guantanamo could be released. The Pentagon says that the cases of some 71 men will eventually be examined under the new process, known as the Periodic Review Board (PRB) – again, a procedure that was mandated by an executive order back in 2011.

Rights advocates have welcomed both moves, despite their lateness.

"We are delighted that the president has followed up with these crucial announcements," Hans Hogrefe, Washington director of Physicians for Human Rights, an advocacy group that has regularly criticized some Guantanamo practices, told Mint Press News.

"Lewis has significant experience on Capitol Hill, and I hope this background will fill the existing gap between President Obama's intention to close Guantanamo and the legislative hurdles that exist in making those intentions come true. Lewis has the experience to do that, but he will need the full support of the administration."

On Monday, Physicians for Human Rights and 17 other watchdog and civil society organizations wrote a letter to President Obama urging action on both the overdue appointment of a special envoy and on the removal of detainees who have been cleared for transfer. "These actions," the groups wrote, "would help to fulfill your renewed promise to end indefinite detention and close the Guantanamo prison."

President Obama made that renewed pledge in May at a major security speech here in Washington, three months after several dozen Guantanamo detainees undertook mass hunger strikes to protest their indefinite detention. The strikers were thereafter subject to forcible feeding procedures by U.S. doctors and nurses, a process widely denounced, including by Physicians for Human Rights. While nearly all of these strikes have since been called off, as of Wednesday, 17 detainees were reportedly still on hunger strike, though none were being hospitalized

[Ron Mexico]

That's great to hear!  I was beginning to wonder if that campaign promise would ever be acknowledged.  Besides, the track record of the people being released from Gitmo can only help to support this move.  The fact that our soldiers and Marines have had to recapture them or have them inflict more casualties is irrelevant.  71+ enemy combatants is only a the equivalent of a reinforced platoon...what damage could they possibly do?

Wait, how many hijackers were there on 9/11?

[Cheshire Cat]

The thought that immediately crossed my mind was if the current detainees were not terrorists to begin with, they will surely come away from Guantanamo with no love for the U.S.A.  I would imagine that when they are released they will be closely monitored, Perhaps even as closely as the NSA is monitoring average American citizen's these days.  Yes the last statement in the above line is snark based upon truth.   

[Ron Mexico]

From 60 Minutes episode that was aired tonight on 10/27/13

"Just a few weeks ago, Abu Anas al-Libi was captured for his role in the Africa bombings and the U.S. is still investigating what part he may have played in Benghazi. We've learned that this man, Sufian bin Qumu, a former Guantanamo Bay detainee and long-time al Qaeda operative, was one of the lead planners along with Faraj al-Chalabi, whose ties to Osama bin Laden go back more than 15 years. He's believed to have carried documents from the compound to the head of al Qaeda in Pakistan."

[BridgeTroll]

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50157947n