Biden will try to close Guantanamo prison after ‘robust’ review
4 years, 1 month ago

Biden will try to close Guantanamo prison after ‘robust’ review

LA Times  

In this photo reviewed by U.S. military officials, the Office of Military Commissions building used for Periodic Review Board hearings is seen on April 18, 2019, at the U.S. Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. President Biden will seek to close the prison on the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay following a review process, resuming a project begun under the Obama administration, the White House said Friday. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said it was the “intention” of the Biden administration to close the detention facility, something President Obama pledged to do within a year shortly after he took office in January 2009. The 40 remaining prisoners at Guantanamo include five who were previously cleared for release through an intensive review process created under Obama as part of the effort to close the detention center and transfer the remaining prisoners to facilities in the U.S. At its peak in 2003, the detention center at the U.S. Navy base on the southeastern tip of Cuba held nearly 680 prisoners. “For almost two decades, the United States has denied justice to the hundreds of men the government has kept detained at Guantanamo Bay indefinitely, without charge or trial,” said Daphne Eviatar, director of the Security with Human Rights Program at Amnesty International USA.

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History of this topic

Biden's Guantánamo legacy 'one step forward, several steps backwards'
2 months, 1 week ago

Biden's Guantánamo legacy 'one step forward, several steps backwards'

NPR  

Biden's Guantánamo legacy 'one step forward, several steps backwards' toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Like Barack Obama before him, Joe Biden vowed to try to shut down the U.S. military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. When Biden first came into office, "there was a sense of aggressive movement" on working to shutter the prison and resolve its remaining legal cases, …

Talks without a deal: Biden dials relatives of Americans held by Taliban days before he vacates office for Trump
2 months, 1 week ago

Talks without a deal: Biden dials relatives of Americans held by Taliban days before he vacates office for Trump

Firstpost  

US President Joe Biden spoke with relatives of three Americans, held captive by Taliban, whom the US government has been trying to bring back from Afghanistan. However, but no agreement has been reached on the deal to get them back to their home President Joe Biden spoke Sunday with relatives of three Americans the US government is looking to bring …

Biden speaks with relatives of Americans held by Taliban, but deal to bring them home still elusive
2 months, 1 week ago

Biden speaks with relatives of Americans held by Taliban, but deal to bring them home still elusive

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden spoke Sunday with relatives of three Americans the U.S. government is looking to bring home from Afghanistan, but no agreement has been reached on a deal to get them back, family members said. Biden’s call with family members of Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi took place in the waning days of his administration …

White House reportedly negotiating with Taliban to swap Americans for alleged bin Laden ally held in Guantanamo Bay
2 months, 2 weeks ago

White House reportedly negotiating with Taliban to swap Americans for alleged bin Laden ally held in Guantanamo Bay

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy President Joe Biden is reportedly trying to negotiate a hostage …

How Biden broke his promise to stop using private prisons for migrants, as detention levels soar
1 year, 7 months ago

How Biden broke his promise to stop using private prisons for migrants, as detention levels soar

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy When he was running …

Conditions for Guantanamo detainees are cruel, inhuman and degrading, UN investigator says
1 year, 8 months ago

Conditions for Guantanamo detainees are cruel, inhuman and degrading, UN investigator says

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — The first U.N. independent investigator to visit the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay said Monday the 30 men held there are subject “to ongoing cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment under international law.” The investigator, Irish law professor Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, said at a news conference releasing her 23-page report to the U.N. Human Rights Council that …

Biden administration quietly steps up effort to close Guantanamo
2 years, 6 months ago

Biden administration quietly steps up effort to close Guantanamo

Live Mint  

WASHINGTON : The Biden administration is revamping its effort to close the Guantanamo Bay prison, for the first time appointing a senior diplomat to oversee detainee transfers and signaling it won’t interfere with plea negotiations that could resolve the long-stalled prosecution of alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four co-defendants. Congress responded to the Obama administration’s effort to close …

Biden Administration Ramping up Efforts to Close Guantanamo Bay Prison: Report
2 years, 6 months ago

Biden Administration Ramping up Efforts to Close Guantanamo Bay Prison: Report

News 18  

The Biden administration is taking steps to close US’ Guantanamo Bay prison, the Wall Street Journal said in a report. The administration may not interfere with plea negotiations that could resolve the long-stalled prosecution of alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four co-defendants, the WSJ said in the report. However, the decision to close down the detention facility could …

EXPLAINER: Why half of Guantanamo’s prisoners could get out
3 years, 1 month ago

EXPLAINER: Why half of Guantanamo’s prisoners could get out

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration has been quietly laying the groundwork to release prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay detention center and at least move closer to being able to shut it down. Decisions about several of these prisoners, including some denied under previous reviews, have come in recent weeks as the administration faced criticism from human rights groups for not …

Biden's low profile on Guantanamo rankles as prison turns 20
3 years, 2 months ago

Biden's low profile on Guantanamo rankles as prison turns 20

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. That has led to increased skepticism about Biden’s approach as the administration completes its …

Ilhan Omar Calls On Biden To Close Guantanamo Bay Prison In Teen Vogue Essay
3 years, 2 months ago

Ilhan Omar Calls On Biden To Close Guantanamo Bay Prison In Teen Vogue Essay

Huff Post  

Rep. Ilhan Omar called on President Joe Biden to close Guantanamo Bay in a Teen Vogue essay. Drew Angerer via Getty Images Rep. Ilhan Omar called on President Joe Biden to close Guantanamo Bay prison for good in a new essay featured in Teen Vogue. On the 20th year to the day that the notorious offshore prison at Guantanamo Bay …

Biden’s low profile on Guantanamo rankles as prison turns 20
3 years, 2 months ago

Biden’s low profile on Guantanamo rankles as prison turns 20

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Advocates for closing the Guantanamo Bay detention center were optimistic when President Joe Biden took office. That has led to increased skepticism about Biden’s approach as the administration completes its first year and the detention center reaches a milestone Tuesday — the 20th anniversary of the first prisoners’ arrival. “President Biden has stated his intention to close Guantanamo …

US says Guantanamo detainee can pen letter about torture
3 years, 5 months ago

US says Guantanamo detainee can pen letter about torture

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration says it will allow a Guantanamo Bay detainee to provide information to Polish officials about his torture in CIA custody following the 9/11 attacks. But the government noted that a court case in the United States involving Zubaydah already includes a public but redacted declaration from him describing his treatment in CIA custody. Any declaration …

Why is Guantanamo Bay prison still open 20 years after 9/11?
3 years, 6 months ago

Why is Guantanamo Bay prison still open 20 years after 9/11?

Al Jazeera  

The fate of 39 detainees who are still being held rests with US President Joe Biden, who has pledged to close the prison. In the nearly 20 years since, the notorious military prison at Guantanamo has become a symbol of US human rights abuses. “The fact that the prison remains open 20 years later is because of US partisan politics …

Guantanamo prison lingers, an unresolved legacy of 9/11
3 years, 6 months ago

Guantanamo prison lingers, an unresolved legacy of 9/11

Associated Press  

NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — President Joe Biden turned the page on one legacy of 9/11 by ending the war in Afghanistan. “The fact that Biden, at least, is saying the right things has given people hope,” said Clive Stafford Smith, a lawyer who was recently making his 40th trip to Guantanamo Bay, seeing prisoners he hadn’t been able …

In step to shut Guantanamo, Biden transfers Moroccan home
3 years, 8 months ago

In step to shut Guantanamo, Biden transfers Moroccan home

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration took a step toward its goal of shutting down the Guantánamo Bay detention center for terror suspects Monday, releasing into the custody of his home country a Moroccan who’d been held without charge almost since the U.S. opened the facility 19 years ago. Nasser’s attorney in Morocco, Khalil Idrissi, said the years Nasser spent in …

Biden administration transfers first detainee from Guantanamo
3 years, 8 months ago

Biden administration transfers first detainee from Guantanamo

Al Jazeera  

Moroccan prisoner Abdul Latif Nasser had been held by the US since 2002 without being charged with a crime. The United States has transferred a detainee out of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility for the first time since President Joe Biden took office, sending a Moroccan man back home years after he was recommended for discharge. The Periodic Review Board …

High court to hear Guantanamo prisoner’s state secrets case
3 years, 10 months ago

High court to hear Guantanamo prisoner’s state secrets case

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court will decide whether a Palestinian man captured in the wake of 9/11 and detained at the prison on the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay can get access to information the government classifies as state secrets. Zubaydah and his lawyer want to question two former CIA contractors about the operation of a secret CIA facility in …

US Supreme Court to hear Palestinian Guantanamo prisoner’s case
3 years, 11 months ago

US Supreme Court to hear Palestinian Guantanamo prisoner’s case

Al Jazeera  

Abu Zubaydah wants to question two former CIA contractors who allegedly tortured him in Poland. Zubaydah and his lawyer want to question two former CIA contractors, James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen, about the operation of a secret CIA facility in Poland where they say Zubaydah was held and tortured. A Supreme Court document details how Zubaydah was held in various …

Biden will try to close Guantanamo after ‘robust’ review
4 years, 1 month ago

Biden will try to close Guantanamo after ‘robust’ review

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will seek to close the prison on the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay following a review process, resuming a project begun under the Obama administration, the White House said Friday. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said it was the “intention” of the Biden administration to close the detention facility, something President Barack Obama pledged …

White House weighs shutdown of Guantanamo prison
4 years, 1 month ago

White House weighs shutdown of Guantanamo prison

Al Jazeera  

The offshore jail symbolises the excesses of the US ‘war on terror’ because of harsh interrogation methods and torture. The Biden administration has launched a formal review of the future of the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, reviving the Obama-era goal of closing the notorious facility, a White House official said on Friday. Aides involved in internal …

Guantanamo: Biden administration says it intends to close prison
4 years, 1 month ago

Guantanamo: Biden administration says it intends to close prison

CNN  

CNN — The Biden administration intends to close the Guantánamo Bay detention facility, which houses approximately 40 prisoners, by the end of their term. When asked by a reporter during a press briefing on Friday if the prison would be closed by the time President Joe Biden leaves office, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, “That’s certainly our goal …

US moves to try Bali bomb suspects at Guantanamo
4 years, 2 months ago

US moves to try Bali bomb suspects at Guantanamo

Al Jazeera  

The military trial to begin for three men held at the Guantanamo Bay, who are suspected of involvement in deadly bombings in Indonesia. The Pentagon announced on Thursday plans to move ahead with a military trial for three men held at the United States’ base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, who are suspected of involvement in deadly bombings in Indonesia in …

US military announces trial for trio detained at Guantanamo Bay suspected of Indonesia terror attacks
4 years, 2 months ago

US military announces trial for trio detained at Guantanamo Bay suspected of Indonesia terror attacks

ABC  

After an unexplained delay, the US Department of Defense has announced plans to move ahead with a military trial for three men held at a base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, who are suspected of involvement in deadly bombings in Indonesia in 2002 and 2003. Key points: Charges have been brought against alleged Bali bombing mastermind Hambali and two Malaysian men …

Will Joe Biden close Guantanamo Bay?
4 years, 2 months ago

Will Joe Biden close Guantanamo Bay?

Al Jazeera  

US president-elect once promised to shut down the camp and now he is under pressure to deliver. It has been 19 years since the United States opened the military detention centre at Guantanamo Bay. Amnesty International is now urging President-elect Joe Biden to fulfil a promise he made 10 years ago to close it down. Amnesty’s 62-page report says the …

Donald Trump's Guantanamo
7 years, 1 month ago

Donald Trump's Guantanamo

ABC  

When Donald Trump announced to the world he was keeping the Guantanamo Bay detention centre open, some of the inmates watched it live on the television sets in their cell blocks. "The detainees as a whole are happy to see things in the news about Guantanamo," Colonel Stephen E Gabvacis, commander of the Joint Detention Group, says. "They don't care …

Trump signs order to keep Guantanamo military prison open
7 years, 1 month ago

Trump signs order to keep Guantanamo military prison open

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a new executive order to keep open the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, marking a formal reversal of his predecessor’s eight-year effort to shut it down. They are unlawful enemy combatants.” “In the past, we have foolishly released hundreds and hundreds of dangerous terrorists only to meet them again on the …

Obama: History Will Judge Us For Not Closing Guantanamo
8 years, 2 months ago

Obama: History Will Judge Us For Not Closing Guantanamo

Huff Post  

For 15 years, the United States has detained hundreds of people at the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, a facility that never should have been opened in the first place. Rather than keeping us safer, the detention facility at Guantanamo undermines American national security. Under this rigorous process, we have transferred 196 detainees from Guantanamo with arrangements designed to keep …

Obama v Trump on Guantanamo and torture
8 years, 3 months ago

Obama v Trump on Guantanamo and torture

Al Jazeera  

Andy Worthington is a freelance investigative journalist. With a month to go before the end of the Obama presidency, it is troubling that Guantanamo remains open - but although we must worry what Trump has planned, it must also be acknowledged that Obama should have closed the prison as he promised by That November, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that …

Obama v Trump on Guantanamo and torture
8 years, 3 months ago

Obama v Trump on Guantanamo and torture

Al Jazeera  

Andy Worthington is a freelance investigative journalist. With a month to go before the end of the Obama presidency, it is troubling that Guantanamo remains open - but although we must worry what Trump has planned, it must also be acknowledged that Obama should have closed the prison as he promised by That November, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that …

Never mind closing Guantanamo, Trump might make it bigger
8 years, 4 months ago

Never mind closing Guantanamo, Trump might make it bigger

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Never mind closing Guantanamo. We’re gonna load it up.” He told The Miami Herald in an interview that month that he would support trying U.S. citizens accused of terrorism at the base, though that would require Congress to change federal law and would likely face constitutional challenges. “He knows what’s at stake and he knows he can’t leave …

Two more militants released from Guantanamo Bay return to conflict
8 years, 6 months ago

Two more militants released from Guantanamo Bay return to conflict

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Two former inmates at …

Guantanamo Bay: Why has Obama failed on his promise to close controversial detention camp?
8 years, 7 months ago

Guantanamo Bay: Why has Obama failed on his promise to close controversial detention camp?

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. While this week has seen the single biggest …

Colin Powell says closing Guantanamo Bay 'in best interest' of the US
9 years, 1 month ago

Colin Powell says closing Guantanamo Bay 'in best interest' of the US

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Colin Powell, former secretary …

Paul Ryan promises to block Obama's plan to close Guantanamo Bay
9 years, 1 month ago

Paul Ryan promises to block Obama's plan to close Guantanamo Bay

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Republicans have promised to …

Obama readies for showdown on Guantanamo closure
9 years, 1 month ago

Obama readies for showdown on Guantanamo closure

Al Jazeera  

President Obama is placing his pieces for his endgame with Congress over closing the controversial detention centre. Ian Moss, from the US State Department’s Office of the Special Envoy for Guantanamo Closure, said diplomats are working hard to “identify responsible opportunities” for transferring those who have been approved for relocation. “The administration continues to work diligently on completing the plan …

Guantanamo Bay closure plans criticised by US conservatives, former lawyer for David Hicks
9 years, 1 month ago

Guantanamo Bay closure plans criticised by US conservatives, former lawyer for David Hicks

ABC  

The release of the Obama administration's plan to close the controversial Guantanamo Bay detention centre has been met with criticism from US conservatives and a lawyer for former Australian detainee David Hicks. "I am very sorry to say I don't think the President is going to succeed in closing by end of administration," said former Hicks lawyer Wells Dixon, whose …

Guantanamo Bay: President Barack Obama unveils roadmap to close controversial US military prison
9 years, 1 month ago

Guantanamo Bay: President Barack Obama unveils roadmap to close controversial US military prison

ABC  

US President Barack Obama has presented a long-awaited roadmap to close the controversial military prison at Guantanamo Bay, saying it is time to close a facility that has betrayed US interests and values. Key points: Obama's plan involves deporting, relocating detainees Rights groups say it sets dangerous precedent in justice system 91 prisoners remain in Guantanamo Bay prison With less …

Obama to release long-awaited plan to close Guantanamo prison
9 years, 1 month ago

Obama to release long-awaited plan to close Guantanamo prison

Live Mint  

Washington: The Obama administration aims to send Congress its long-awaited plan for closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay by Tuesday, to meet a deadline imposed by lawmakers after months of delay. The White House downplayed the prospects for implementing the plan even before its release, expressing little confidence that lawmakers would agree to transfer dozens of suspected terrorists from the …

Hurdles ahead as Obama bids to shut Guantanamo prison
9 years, 1 month ago

Hurdles ahead as Obama bids to shut Guantanamo prison

Al Jazeera  

The US president acknowledges tough task but says he is committed to closing detention facility despite opposition. ‘A new ZIP code’ Before Obama’s plan was even public, Republican US Senators Pat Roberts of Kansas, Tim Scott of South Carolina and Cory Gardner of Colorado voiced opposition to any notion that prisoners would be sent to the mainland US – “regardless …

Guantanamo Bay closure: Obama sends plan to Congress
9 years, 1 month ago

Guantanamo Bay closure: Obama sends plan to Congress

Al Jazeera  

US president says closing the military prison will protect national security, but opponents declare plan a non-starter. US President Barack Obama has proposed to “once and for all” close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay and transfer remaining detainees to a facility in the US – though his plan did not specify where. US officials have previously said the plan …

What to expect from Obama’s plan to close Guantanamo
9 years, 2 months ago

What to expect from Obama’s plan to close Guantanamo

Al Jazeera  

We are starting to hear leaks about the US President Barack Obama’s latest effort to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. ‘Recruiting tool for terrorists’ The president will make the argument that the prison serves as a recruiting tool for organisations the US labels as “terrorist organisations”. He said: “There’s a certain other group of individuals who are not …

Protesters demand closure of Guantanamo on anniversary
9 years, 2 months ago

Protesters demand closure of Guantanamo on anniversary

Al Jazeera  

Rally outside White House comes day after Obama administration once again vowed to shut down detainee facility. Demonstrators have gathered outside the White House in Washington DC, demanding the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detainee facility. The protests, on the 14th anniversary of the opening of the prison in Cuba, come a day after the US administration once again vowed …

President Obama Is Preparing A Plan To Close Guantanamo Bay
9 years, 2 months ago

President Obama Is Preparing A Plan To Close Guantanamo Bay

Huff Post  

WASHINGTON, Jan 10 - President Barack Obama will make good on a promise to close the U.S. naval prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, his chief of staff Denis McDonough said on "Fox News Sunday." Obama will first present a long-awaited plan to Congress about how to close the facility, and seek its approval, McDonough said in an interview. Obama pledged …

Barack Obama 'feels obligated' to make good on Guantanamo pledge
9 years, 2 months ago

Barack Obama 'feels obligated' to make good on Guantanamo pledge

Daily Mail  

President Barack Obama will make good on a promise to close the U.S. naval prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, his chief of staff Denis McDonough said on 'Fox News Sunday.' Obama will first present a long-awaited plan to Congress about how to close the facility, and seek its approval, McDonough said in an interview. Scroll down for video White House …

Obama’s limited options for closing Guantanamo prison
9 years, 4 months ago

Obama’s limited options for closing Guantanamo prison

Al Jazeera  

The White House is signaling that any day now it will release a new plan for closing the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said on Thursday not to expect any major plot twists when its long awaited review is released. Congress Obama could present a plan for closing the prison by releasing the prisoners …

Supporters Urge Obama To Take Executive Action To Close Guantanamo
9 years, 4 months ago

Supporters Urge Obama To Take Executive Action To Close Guantanamo

NPR  

Supporters Urge Obama To Take Executive Action To Close Guantanamo President Obama is expected to send Congress a plan soon for how to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell taunted President Obama yesterday just before the Senate overwhelmingly passed yet another bill blocking the commander in chief from moving Guantanamo detainees …

Obama to launch new effort to close Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba
9 years, 4 months ago

Obama to launch new effort to close Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba

LA Times  

President Obama plans to a lay out a proposal to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, above, as early as this week, aides say. “But if Congress continues to refuse, I wouldn’t rule out the president using every element of his authority to make progress.” Obama has shown a willingness to act where Congress has been gridlocked. Though their …

Guantanamo Bay closure: White House says plans to close detention camp are in final stages
9 years, 8 months ago

Guantanamo Bay closure: White House says plans to close detention camp are in final stages

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The White House has …

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