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 the door to Guantanamo open for Donald Trump,” said Naureen Shah, director of the security and human rights program at Amnesty International. Sen. Pat Roberts, a Republican who opposes moving inmates, said last week that the Defense Department told him months ago that “the Obama administration had neither the time nor the money to close Gitmo and move detainees to Fort Leavenworth,” in Roberts’ home state of Kansas. “This isn’t 2003, with relatively large numbers of terrorism suspects in places where we have a realistic opportunity to nab them.” Raha Wala, director of national security advocacy at Human Rights First, isn’t giving up hope that Obama will close Guantanamo before leaving office.

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History of this topic

Trump’s Gitmo Detention Center Would Be Bigger Than History’s Worst Concentration Camps
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Trump’s Gitmo Detention Center Would Be Bigger Than History’s Worst Concentration Camps

Slate  

Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. In a press conference on Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced that his administration will build a 30,000-bed detention center in Guantanamo Bay. If the Trump administration actually builds the detention camp in Guantanamo, it’ll double in size Auschwitz-Birkenau’s original …

Trump to open detention centre in Guantanamo Bay for 'worst criminal aliens'
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Trump to open detention centre in Guantanamo Bay for 'worst criminal aliens'

India Today  

President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed the Laken Riley Act into law, giving federal authorities broader power to deport immigrants in the US illegally who have been accused of crimes. “Guantanamo Bay’s abusive history speaks for itself and in no uncertain terms will put people’s physical and mental health in jeopardy,” Stacy Suh, program director of Detention Watch Network, said …

Trump unveils plan to detain 30,000 migrants at Guantanamo Bay prison
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Trump unveils plan to detain 30,000 migrants at Guantanamo Bay prison

New Indian Express  

'Act of brutality' The Guantanamo Bay facility currently holds 15 detainees from the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and other operations triggered by the September 11, 2001, attacks. “Some of them are so bad that we don’t even trust the countries to hold them because we don’t want them coming back, so we’re gonna send ’em out to Guantanamo,” Trump said. …

Donald Trump will detain ‘criminal illegal aliens’ migrants at Guantanamo Bay prison
Top News
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Donald Trump will detain ‘criminal illegal aliens’ migrants at Guantanamo Bay prison

Hindustan Times  

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he planned to detain "criminal illegal aliens" at the notorious Guantanamo Bay military prison, used for holding terrorism suspects since the 9/11 attacks. He said he was signing an executive order instructing the Pentagon and the Homeland Security department to "begin preparing the 30,000-person migrant facility at Guantanamo Bay," Trump said at the White …

Trump says he'll send 30,000 illegal migrants to Guantanamo Bay
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Trump says he'll send 30,000 illegal migrants to Guantanamo Bay

Daily Mail  

President Donald Trump has unveiled plans to house 30,000 illegal migrants at Guantanamo Bay. 'Today, I’m also signing an Executive Order to instruct the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to begin preparing the 30,000 person migrant facility at Guantanamo Bay to detain the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people,' Trump said. President Donald Trump has annoucned plans …

"Tough place to get out of": Trump announces plans to hold detained immigrants at Guantanamo Bay
1 month, 3 weeks ago

"Tough place to get out of": Trump announces plans to hold detained immigrants at Guantanamo Bay

Salon  

Donald Trump stepped up his assault on migrants on Wednesday evening, announcing plans to hold detained immigrants at the notorious military prison at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. Expecting a glut of immigrants in detention, Trump signed a memo ordering the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense to prepare the prison to hold 30,000 additional detainees. Cuban President …

US President Trump to transfer undocumented immigrants to Guantanamo
1 month, 3 weeks ago

US President Trump to transfer undocumented immigrants to Guantanamo

Al Jazeera  

The Guantanamo Bay detention centre has garnered a reputation for human rights abuses during the US ‘war on terror’. President Donald Trump has announced plans to transform the United States detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, into a holding centre for undocumented immigrants. Trump had campaigned for a second term on the promise of leading a “mass deportation” campaign, targeting …

If Musk’s DOGE wants to save money, closing Guantanamo has to be the first call
2 months ago

If Musk’s DOGE wants to save money, closing Guantanamo has to be the first call

The Independent  

The soon-to-be-created Department of Government Efficiency – to be run by Elon Musk – and the new DOGE caucus in Congress have declared their commitment “to help rein in reckless spending and stop the abuse of taxpayer dollars.” How about a Defence Department programme that has cost $13bn with no end in sight and that costs 200 times as much …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

I was a Guantanamo detainee – this is what I think of Trump's plan to keep it open
7 years, 1 month ago

I was a Guantanamo detainee – this is what I think of Trump's plan to keep it open

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Earlier this month, the US government …

Trump order to keep Guantanamo open ‘sheer stupidity’
7 years, 1 month ago

Trump order to keep Guantanamo open ‘sheer stupidity’

Al Jazeera  

Donald Trump’s decision to keep Guantanamo Bay prison open means dozens of detainees will stay behind bars, lawyer says. “Donald Trump’s a moron if he thinks Guantanamo should remain open because it keeps us more safe or improves our standing in the world,” said Wells Dixon, a staff lawyer at the Center for Constitutional Justice, a US-based legal advocacy group. …

The Prison at Guantanamo Bay Was Going to Stay Open Whether Trump Demanded It or Not
7 years, 1 month ago

The Prison at Guantanamo Bay Was Going to Stay Open Whether Trump Demanded It or Not

Slate  

In his State of the Union address, President Trump announced that he had “just signed an order directing Secretary Mattis to re-examine our military detention policy and to keep open the detention facilities at Guantánamo Bay.” This could mean a lot, or absolutely nothing. The executive order signed on Tuesday rescinds Obama’s order closing the base and states that the …

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 …

Guantanamo Bay: Trump administration officials signal intent to refill Cuban prison with 'bad dudes'
7 years, 8 months ago

Guantanamo Bay: Trump administration officials signal intent to refill Cuban prison with 'bad dudes'

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Plans appear to be under …

Rights advocates warn of backlash if Trump pursues torture
8 years, 2 months ago

Rights advocates warn of backlash if Trump pursues torture

Associated Press  

LONDON — It took more than a year’s worth of beatings, sleep deprivation, psychological abuse and threats to his family before former Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg said he cracked and confessed to being a member of the al-Qaida terror network. President Donald Trump is asking for recommendations on whether torture works, if secret CIA black sites should be used …

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 …

4 More Prisoners Leave Guantanamo In Waning Days Of Obama Administration
8 years, 2 months ago

4 More Prisoners Leave Guantanamo In Waning Days Of Obama Administration

NPR  

4 More Prisoners Leave Guantanamo In Waning Days Of Obama Administration Enlarge this image toggle caption Ben Fox/AP Ben Fox/AP Since the Obama administration hasn't been able to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the push has been on to transfer as many of the cleared detainees as possible before Donald Trump becomes president. Earlier this week on Morning …

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 …

Trump Has Vowed To Fill Guantanamo With 'Some Bad Dudes' — But Who?
8 years, 4 months ago

Trump Has Vowed To Fill Guantanamo With 'Some Bad Dudes' — But Who?

NPR  

Trump Has Vowed To Fill Guantanamo With 'Some Bad Dudes' — But Who? Because the U.S. is not fighting ground wars and taking prisoners like it once did, Wittes wonders just how Trump expects to load up Guantanamo with "bad dudes." One online video counting down the days Obama has left features a new anthem with the refrain "Close Guantanamo, …

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 …

Obama must fulfill his Gitmo pledge: Eight years is far too long to make campaign promise of closing prison a reality
9 years, 1 month ago

Obama must fulfill his Gitmo pledge: Eight years is far too long to make campaign promise of closing prison a reality

Salon  

"We're going to close Guantánamo. She explains that Obama "is fully within his executive authority to close Guantánamo without going through Congress, because of that very same power that George W. Bush used to open" it. The president has proffered no public protestations about approving the weekly "Kill List" — known euphemistically as the disposition matrix — and ordering 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 …

Why Obama has not closed Guantanamo
9 years, 2 months ago

Why Obama has not closed Guantanamo

Al Jazeera  

Two days after he was sworn in as president, Obama signed an executive order for a review of the cases of all detainees. The US administration has not explained how they would get around US law – something it has been able to do in Guantanamo Bay. ecretary of defense to personally certify to Congress that a released detainee “cannot …

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 …

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