Obama Eyes ‘Compromise’ on Gitmo Closure

Would Trade Civilian Trials for Support on Closing Detention Center

According to officials, President Barack Obama is seriously considering a “compromise” deal with Senator Lindsey Graham (R – SC) which he hopes would give him additional support for a plan to close Guantanamo Bay’s detention center.

The deal would have Obama abandoning civilian trials for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and others, trials which are on hold at any rate in the face of massive opposition to holding actual trials. In return, Sen. Graham would support President Obama’s pledge to close Guantanamo Bay.

But while it seems clear that President Obama was moving toward abandoning civilian trials at any rate, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R – IA) says it is unlikely that Graham’s endorsement would be enough to close the facility, and many Republican senators would remain opposed to it.

Upon taking office in January of 2009, President Obama made a pledge to close Guantanamo Bay within 12 months, but eventually abandoned the pledge in the face of political opposition. The administration’s goal is to move the detainees to a new facility in Thomson, Illinois, though this will likely take years.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.