Fearing a potential battle over the massive $83.4 billion “emergency” war funding bill, Congressional Democrats have dropped the $50 million dollars the Obama Administration had sought to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay from the bill.
Though President Obama had promised to close the facility, Republicans opposed to the deal argued it might lead to releasing some of the innocent detainees into the United States and Sen. McConnell predicted it would “significantly delay the passage of this legislation.” The bulk of the bill was to continue funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – which seems uncontroversial across both houses of Congress.
After running a campaign harshly critical of the Guantanamo detention system, the administration has largely abandoned its early promises to close to facility, and is now talking openly about restarting the Bush-era military tribunal system, long criticized for the dubious legality. Losing the allocation for closing the facility may well be the excuse needed for the president to abandon any pretense of working toward that end.
That seems odd that the Obama administration would need an excuse. Even odder that the Democrats who control both houses of Congress including a filibuster-proof Senate can be an excuse for a Democrat administration. The truth is, Obama is a mass murdering thug and he was lying about closing Guantanamo and ending the war in Iraq. He lied so anti-establishment Democrats would vote for him. Worked.
We the people have been lied to…again
I don't understand why it would cost 50 Billion to close the detention center, i mean all it is made of is chain link fence and plywood. The people spoke in Fort Levenworth Ks. said it was to dangerous to have so called Terioust in there back yard. This prison is full of some of the worst murder's in the world.
That would be Million, not billion, Larry. Paltry sum considering the numbers that have been floating around for years when talking about government spending. One would think it pocket change to the Pentagon, if they were serious about closing the place, which they're not. It isn't the first time we've been lied to and won't be the last.
Dims have lost any potential votes they would ever get from me from now I am voting straght party Green tickets.
If Obama wanted to make real progress in reducing tensions and terrorism, closing Guantanamo would have been far more effective than spending an additional 80+ billion on wars that create more tensions and more terrorism. It is striking how little our new President cares about principle and how unprincipled this latest decision is.
There…is..no..surprise..in..any..,betrayal..in..America..today.(911?) The PEOPLE..are for paying the fee*s… Their opinions are the (political) weather; to be celebrated when fair and when foul one dresses for it. Is Obama the current costume of our political leaders (class?) against the current weather of the electorate?? I have NOT given up on Obama. Look at Pellosi!! The DEM leaders are pro EMPIRE/war like the Repubs & the neocon cabal is bypartisan… Delivering change must be tough….Nobody wants the dirty TRUTH exposed…Those “GITMO““DETAINEES“ know way to many secrets… As I write this post, Andrew Basavitch is being interviewed by Terry Gross on NPR…
He is saying..that…the Taliban should be treated as an international CRIMINAL conspiracy.. AND he
is ADVOCATING that the U.S. take out (by BOMBING or INVASION to SNATCH)…. the NUCLEAR weapons ..and..ANY and ALL radiological material in PAKISTAN.!! His son was killed in Iraq…
so he has license to advocate wildly…and he is…