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 to safely and responsibly close the detention facility,” Gary Ross, a US Navy commander and Pentagon spokesman, told Al Jazeera. “It’s not closure of Guantanamo in any meaningful sense to close the prison in Cuba while allowing the system of detention without charge to go on indefinitely,” Kadidal told Al Jazeera. “As long as that remains the president’s plan, no amount of frantic manoeuvring this year will allow him to truly accomplish what he promised when he first ran for president.” Harvard Law School professor Jack Goldsmith said Obama’s current efforts to shutter the facility are merely political theatre, in which he is ready to “capitulate” to Congress rather than prompt a constitutional clash.

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History of this topic

Guantanamo to hold ‘illegal aliens’: The Constitution v The President, 2.0
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Guantanamo to hold ‘illegal aliens’: The Constitution v The President, 2.0

Al Jazeera  

These days there is a sense that Washington, DC, along with most of the Western world, has transported back to the 1930s, when fascism was openly on the march. One consequence of the Spanish-American War of 1898 was the independence of Cuba from its European colonial masters, but it came at a price: in 1901, the US wrote an amendment …

"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 …

If Musk’s DOGE wants to save money, closing Guantanamo has to be the first call
1 month, 3 weeks 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'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, …

America's Global War on Terror: What's next for Guantanamo's final detainees?
2 months, 1 week ago

America's Global War on Terror: What's next for Guantanamo's final detainees?

Firstpost  

As Guantanamo Bay’s population dwindles to its lowest point, the Biden administration faces mounting pressure to resolve high-profile cases, including plea deals for 9/11 suspects. With only 15 detainees remaining, questions about the legacy of America’s war on terror loom large In this photo reviewed by US military officials, flags fly at half-staff at Camp Justice, August 29, 2021, in …

Guantanamo at 23: What’s next for the ‘lawless’ detention facility?
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Guantanamo at 23: What’s next for the ‘lawless’ detention facility?

Al Jazeera  

With 15 inmates remaining, advocates urge Biden to release more Gitmo detainees before he leaves office on January 20. “We’re still hopeful that President Biden can transfer more detainees out before he leaves office,” Eviatar told Al Jazeera. “With President-elect Trump strongly opposed to closing Guantanamo, the need to President Biden to shut the prison down is more urgent than …

Guantánamo plea deals for accused 9/11 plotters are halted by federal appeals court
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Guantánamo plea deals for accused 9/11 plotters are halted by federal appeals court

NPR  

Guantánamo plea deals for accused 9/11 plotters are halted by federal appeals court toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images In another last-minute twist in a legal drama consuming the September 11th terrorism case, a federal appeals court has delayed a hearing at which the alleged ringleader of the attacks was scheduled to plead guilty at the U.S. military court in Guantánamo …

US releases Guantanamo Bay prisoner held since day 1
Trending News
2 months, 3 weeks ago

US releases Guantanamo Bay prisoner held since day 1

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 A prisoner who has …

Pentagon repatriates Guantánamo detainee held without charge for over two decades
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Pentagon repatriates Guantánamo detainee held without charge for over two decades

Raw Story  

The Biden administration announced late Monday that it transferred a Tunisian man who was never charged with a crime out of the notorious Guantánamo Bay military prison in Cuba, a move that came more than a decade after the detainee was approved for release. Al-Yazidi was the fourth Guantánamo detainee in two weeks to be transferred from the prison by …

Guantanamo at 21: Advocates renew calls for closing US prison
2 years, 2 months ago

Guantanamo at 21: Advocates renew calls for closing US prison

Al Jazeera  

Guantanamo’s legacy of abuse, injustice and ‘lawlessness’ gets worse with each passing year, former detainee says. She said the prison’s lasting legacy is that the US government – “ostensibly a liberal political democracy” – denied the humanity of detainees in the name of national security interests. ‘Without charges… without humanity’ Former Guantanamo detainee Mansoor Adayfi said the detention facility’s legacy …

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 …

Guantánamo Bay detention camp marks 20 years: History and controversy surrounding US prison
3 years, 2 months ago

Guantánamo Bay detention camp marks 20 years: History and controversy surrounding US prison

Firstpost  

The military prison, which was established on 11 January 2002 and still holds 39 inmates, is notorious for carrying out torture and has been called ’national disgrace' Twenty years ago to this date, the United States opened Guantánamo Bay detention camp, a detention centre run by its Navy to house the first inmates from America’s ‘war on terror’. Torture used …

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 …

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 …

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

Guantanamo prison lingers, an unresolved legacy of 9/11

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. “The fact that Biden, at least, is saying the …

Guantanamo Bay: Inside the world’s most notorious detention centre as the war on terror fades away
3 years, 8 months ago

Guantanamo Bay: Inside the world’s most notorious detention centre as the war on terror fades away

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. open image in gallery Camp Justice on Guantánamo …

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 …

Guantanamo prosecutor retires as 9/11 trial remains elusive
3 years, 8 months ago

Guantanamo prosecutor retires as 9/11 trial remains elusive

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 The Army general who spent …

Guantanamo prosecutor retires as 9/11 trial remains elusive
3 years, 8 months ago

Guantanamo prosecutor retires as 9/11 trial remains elusive

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Army general who spent the past decade leading an oft-stalled effort to prosecute five men held at the Guantanamo Bay detention center for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is retiring from the military, leaving his post as chief prosecutor as a trial remains elusive. According to a copy obtained by The Associated Press, Martins decided to leave …

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, 10 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 …

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 …

Editorial: Guantanamo detainees are still trapped in a legal black hole
5 years, 9 months ago

Editorial: Guantanamo detainees are still trapped in a legal black hole

LA Times  

The American flag hangs behind barbed wire at the U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer has suggested that the indefinite detention of enemy combatants at Guantanamo may violate the U.S. Constitution. But Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer this week raised the possibility that this situation might also might violate both the Constitution and the law under which 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. …

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 …

'We Should Have Pushed Harder': Obama's Gitmo Czars Reflect On His Failure To Close The Prison
8 years, 2 months ago

'We Should Have Pushed Harder': Obama's Gitmo Czars Reflect On His Failure To Close The Prison

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING On his first day in office, President Barack Obama signed an executive order directing that the Guantanamo Bay prison facility “be closed as soon as practicable, and no later than one year from the date of this order.” The prison camp on the island of Cuba had come to symbolize the abuses of the war on terror. …

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 …

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 …

Guantanamo Bay closure a step closer after mass transfer of prisoners to the UAE
8 years, 7 months ago

Guantanamo Bay closure a step closer after mass transfer of prisoners to the UAE

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 Fifteen prisoners at Guantanamo …

Guantanamo Bay inmates to be transferred to other countries, US confirms
8 years, 11 months ago

Guantanamo Bay inmates to be transferred to other countries, US confirms

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 Pentagon plans to …

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

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