Obama Aide Raises Doubt About Gitmo Closing Deadline

Wall Street Journal:

The Obama administration's counterterrorism chief appeared to provide the first indication the administration may not make its January deadline for closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay in remarks Thursday that aimed to outline a new path for combating terrorism.

The administration is folding measures to combat terrorists into its broader effort to engage other countries and improve social conditions overseas, said John Brennan, the president's senior counterterrorism adviser who also served as a senior intelligence official during the Bush administration.

Read the whole story: Wall Street Journal

Comments

[FrozenNorthObserver]

of course it's not closing. O "vowed" to close it and it's become quite apparent with his many other "vows" that that word has a totally different meaning in Chicago than it does with rest of the english language.

[davenav]

Not unexpected.

There were bound to be delays as this place is one big constitutional anomaly -- complications were sure to arise.

Anyone who thinks this place could be shut down and swept under the carpet in a few days needs to get out and get some sunlight and fresh air and realise this is not a simplistic little world we live in, but a complex one.

[underthegun1]

WELL, obviously Obama thought it could, otherwise he wouldn't have made the deadline, which he is not going back on...like he has on basically every other campaign promise.

[Coinyer101]

No surprise here. A progressive President would have closed it down in a month, instead of keeping most of the former policies of bush/cheeney, that created that shameful place.....­,

[mcmutter]

No problem. Obama just set the bar too high. Its all relative like GOP morality.

[NowSeeHere]

Most people are starting to realize that Zer0bama was all talk and sc@mmed his way into the Wh.ite H0use. Thats why so many stories about people expressing their rage in the town halls.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

The two seem to be disconnected.

Those expressing their rage in town hall meetings to shout down other people and frustrate attempts at rational discussions seem to be doing so for reasons other than to show their disappointment in Obama not doing the things that he said that he would do.

[mcmutter]

try winning an election next time

[YouCanKeepYourChange]

Is that all you have bluebird??

[davenav]

Frankly, posts like this give me great assurance that he is doing pretty good.

[underthegun1]

The town halls are people mad because they have a black president. Myself, however, as someone who voted for Obama, is deeply disappointed. I do not even have to believe that we have been scammed, because it is pretty apparent. All I need to do is look at what has been done (or not done) in the past 6 months to realize that.

[BabblingBrooks]

Might miss closing Gitmo deadline? This is news? He didn't have a plan, hadn't thought through all the problems, and thus hadn't noted that the Bush Administration had carefully thought through the options and settled on the best solution.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

In order to continue to shield the war criminals, doesn't Obama need to continue to keep the prisoners at Gitmo?

[WeMustSpeakOut]

I think that is exactly what brings the complexities up and over the top, and the reason that the Prez is creating yet another alternative "system of justice" for detainees.

Those people have been tortured which is war crime. He won't be allowed to let the ugliest cat out of this atrocious bag, he will have to find a way to lock these unfortunates up forevermore lest they speak.

[bikerdude]

It seems to me that if the CIC issues an order, these bumblers better get it done...

[BambooHarvester]

Links to a wall street urinal article F that !
~

[mendelcrosses]

Why is closing GITMO such a big deal?

I mean people didnt even know when it got opened. Congress didnt have to pass a bill on that.Why is a bill required now to close it?

[AnotherMcIntosh]

You ask, "Why is closing GITMO such a big deal?"

Contrary to our traditional American values, the Bush war-criminals tortured people there.

It also appears that as least some of the torture, and maybe even much of it, was done to provide proof of a connection between the oil-rich country of Iraq and the al Qaeda which may have harbored Saudi Arabians.

It also appears that at least some of those who have been tortured weren't even terrorists or even connected with al Qaeda.

Closing GITMO is a big deal, in part, because it is related to the uncovering of the criminality of the war criminals. Certainly some got rich. It's not limited to those who became millionaires. While our country is falling appart, some may even now be billionaires.

Closing GITMO is also a big deal, in part, because it would show that Obama actually means what he says. Or actually means what he says with respect to one issue.

Obama's failure to close GITMO, like his failure to take away the disproportionate Bush tax-cuts for the ultra rich, like his failure to reduce the war profiteering, and like his failure to abandon the trickle-down theory while transferring hundreds of billions to banksters, is important, in part, because it shows where his true loyalties lie.

[I once had a Crysknife]

Barackalypse Now!

[NC4Obama]

Kind of hard when congress wont give him money to close it.

[FeloniusMonk]

Thank you for trying to remind people of that.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

Shouldn't some of his bankster friends be grateful for all the bonuses and hundreds of billions that he urgently obtained on their behalf?

If he wants to close Gitmo with all deliberate speed, can't he ask them to contribute a little.

(A contribution to a closing of Gitmo, of course, and not a contribution to him.)

[unprofor]

Seems to me this is a leadership issue. As some bloggers have pointed out it's easy to say things on the campaign trail and another to implement once you are faced with the second and third order effects of a decision. Closing Gitmo is going to have a lot of second and third order effects that some have envisioned and others that we will have to deal with. The Bush Administration failed to properly give these detainees a status as he never declared them as POW's. We never officially arrested them or charged them with crimes so we haven't given them a status to be tried and then placed in the Federal Penitentiary system. I think the first thing Obama needs to do is classify these detainees. It will make the disposition a little easier. If they are POW's keep them at Gitmo until the War on Terror or War on Al Qaeda is declared over. They stay in the DOD hands and are treated under the Geneva Convention. Charge them with crimes, hold a trial, and if convicted they go straight to the nearest Federal Penitentiary in your backyard. What we need is a little leadership to get this thing going and get it off the table. President has to be the leader not a party politician. When in charge, be in charge.

[wijg]

I'm not surprised.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

Is the promise to close Gitmo like the promise to take away the Bush tax cuts for the ultra rich? Something that may happen someday?