A catch all spending bill which narrowly passed today in the House of Representatives effectively ends the Obama Administration’s effort to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, such as it is.

The bill, which passed on a 212-206 vote, forbids the Obama Administration from transferring any detainees held at Guantanamo Bay to the United States for the purposes of giving them an actual trial, and mentions Khalid Sheikh Mohammed by name.

This means that even the farcical, half-hearted efforts by the Obama Administration to close the facility will have to stop, and the administration, which already seems quite comfortable with the Bush-era style military tribunals, won’t even be giving lip-service to idea that the facility will close at some point.

President Obama had made the closure of Guantanamo one of his first pledges upon taking office insisting he would get it done in 12 months. After failing in 2009, he made virtually no effort in 2010, though he still claimed it was his “goal.“

Last 5 posts by Jason Ditz

• No Deal: US Restarted Pakistan Drone Strikes Despite Objections - February 22nd, 2012
• Syrian National Council Demands Foreign Invasion - February 22nd, 2012
• State Dept.: Pakistani Taliban 'Not Welcome' at Truce Talks - February 22nd, 2012
• Israeli FM: Our Decision to Attack Iran None of US, Russia's Business - February 22nd, 2012
• Hunger Strike Ends, but Adnan's Detention Without Charges Doesn't - February 22nd, 2012