Shortly after his inauguration, President Obama signed an executive order calling for a 120 day halt to all legal proceedings at Guantanamo Bay while they conduct a review… a first step in the long effort to close the detention facility.

But the top military judge at Guantanamo Bay, Colonel James Pohl, says he found Obama’s arguments “unpersuasive” and is going to deny the request to delay the current arraignment. The argument from the administration was that the “interests of justice” would be served by the delay. On the contrary, Col. Pohl declared that “the public interest” in a speedy trial was more important.

The White House is reportedly exploring its options, but Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell says there are “no ifs, and or buts” about adhering to Obama’s executive order and that there would “be no proceedings continuing down at Gitmo with military commissions.”

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