Guantanamo Bay: Obama considering closure options

WASHINGTON: -- The White House says President Barack Obama is considering "a wide array" of options for closing the controversial US military prison at Guantanamo Bay.

Spokesman Josh Earnest said winning Congress approval to close the jail would be the best option.

But he did not rule out executive action as a means to shut it down.

President Obama is determined to shut down the prison before the end of his term in 2017, but faces bipartisan opposition in Congress.

Full storyhttp://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34109685


-- BBC 2015-09-01

Sure he is. Send then all right back to Iraq to joking ISIS or Africa to join Boko Haram.

The problem becomes "What do you do with them"?

When they aren't on US soil they aren't entitled to certain rights. If they are on US soil they inherit +/- everything almost as if they were US citizens.

I believe they are considered quasi prisoners of war and are under military jurisdiction. If they were taken to the US, I believe they would fall under civil or criminal court jurisdiction. Either way they would get a lot of "rights".

If they were on US soil and there was a trial imagine the circus just from a security standpoint. Besides, who wants to start importing those people to the US? Where would they be housed in the US? I hope not with the general population, even in a prison.

As it is they are captured afield and not entitled to US rights beyond that of a prisoner. I don't want them on US soil and I don't want them in the US system.

BTW, Gitmo is a US Naval Base that the US leased from Cuba many moons ago, even long before the Castros. The prison is a small part of that but what we think of as Gitmo is actually a Naval Base with this prison.These prisoners are in a US military base on foreign soil.

Ship them to their countries of citizenship. Those countries will either jail them, execute them,

or release them. If they are released and they join Isis they will soon fall under the watchful

eye of predator drones. The GOP just does not want Obama to claim success in closing down

the Guantanamo detention center.

Secretly chip them and then the drones can find them again in the future

Guantanamo is Americas "face"

Give them a chance for Freedom--Allow them to Swim to Miami if they make it there Free!

Give them a chance for Freedom--Allow them to Swim to Miami if they make it there Free!

I like the idea, but we need to make it a bit more challenging. Chum the waters ahead of them and makes small cuts on their arms and legs.

2008 and still talking in 2015

How many in gitmo have been convicted?

If you dont have evidence then set them free, you cant be righteous and keep people indefinitely purely on suspision.

If u do that then u are no better than china or nth korea.

But that is no shock to the rest of the world who turn a blind eye for the sake of trade deals and money.

I note that none of the posters have faith in the US legal system.

Even the US government by it's actions shows disrespect for the US judicial system.

So please explain this to me: What is wrong with the US justice system?

Or are you all just US bashers?

Closing Guantanamo was one of the only firm political promises Obama made during his FIRST campaign.

Gitmo is a human rights abuse. Obama has proven no better than any other politician, blowing with the wind.

I note that none of the posters have faith in the US legal system.

Even the US government by it's actions shows disrespect for the US judicial system.

So please explain this to me: What is wrong with the US justice system?

Or are you all just US bashers?

I think this has already been discussed. These prisoners were captured in the US's "war on terror" and mostly in the battlefield. Remember, the master mind of 9-11 was held there. Along with many of his cohorts. I've no sympathy for criminals like this.

One reason they are at this base is to keep them from the very good US legal system. Where they'd have access to free lawyers and their appeals would go on for years. These guys are considered enemy combatants and not captured on US soil.

I'm not trying to defend this, so please, no bashing. Just trying to put some perspective here. I use to work in the World Trade Center. Was headed there the day of the attack. I saw the second tower fall with my own eyes and know a few who didn't make it. I've no sympathy. That event changed many innocent people's lives forever.

How many in gitmo have been convicted?

If you dont have evidence then set them free, you cant be righteous and keep people indefinitely purely on suspision.

If u do that then u are no better than china or nth korea.

But that is no shock to the rest of the world who turn a blind eye for the sake of trade deals and money.

They've got evidence. Seems only one has been convicted so far, the the conviction overturned. He's guilty, he even admits it as does the Australian government:

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/18/us/david-hicks-conviction-vacated/index.html

"Mr. Hicks has made a number of admissions regarding his activities, including in letters to his family and in his book, for example that he undertook training with militia and terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and that he had met Osama bin Laden on many occasions and considered him a 'brother.'"

I note that none of the posters have faith in the US legal system.

Even the US government by it's actions shows disrespect for the US judicial system.

So please explain this to me: What is wrong with the US justice system?

Or are you all just US bashers?

I have lot of faith in the US justice system. I hope I wasn't misunderstood. I don't want enemy combatants and terrorists given access to it after they are caught as prisoners of war. That's especially true with the risk of terrorist activity on US soil as a result of that person being held or tried.

I don't know of any country that treats its prisoners of war like it does its own citizens. I don't want those guys to be on US soil and being pampered by the system at taxpayer expense either.

The problem becomes "What do you do with them"?

When they aren't on US soil they aren't entitled to certain rights. If they are on US soil they inherit +/- everything almost as if they were US citizens.

I believe they are considered quasi prisoners of war and are under military jurisdiction. If they were taken to the US, I believe they would fall under civil or criminal court jurisdiction. Either way they would get a lot of "rights".

If they were on US soil and there was a trial imagine the circus just from a security standpoint. Besides, who wants to start importing those people to the US? Where would they be housed in the US? I hope not with the general population, even in a prison.

As it is they are captured afield and not entitled to US rights beyond that of a prisoner. I don't want them on US soil and I don't want them in the US system.

BTW, Gitmo is a US Naval Base that the US leased from Cuba many moons ago, even long before the Castros. The prison is a small part of that but what we think of as Gitmo is actually a Naval Base with this prison.These prisoners are in a US military base on foreign soil.

they were kidnapped, tortured and are denied their rights to a lawyer, and a trial. it is a sick joke

The problem becomes "What do you do with them"?

When they aren't on US soil they aren't entitled to certain rights. If they are on US soil they inherit +/- everything almost as if they were US citizens.

I believe they are considered quasi prisoners of war and are under military jurisdiction. If they were taken to the US, I believe they would fall under civil or criminal court jurisdiction. Either way they would get a lot of "rights".

If they were on US soil and there was a trial imagine the circus just from a security standpoint. Besides, who wants to start importing those people to the US? Where would they be housed in the US? I hope not with the general population, even in a prison.

As it is they are captured afield and not entitled to US rights beyond that of a prisoner. I don't want them on US soil and I don't want them in the US system.

BTW, Gitmo is a US Naval Base that the US leased from Cuba many moons ago, even long before the Castros. The prison is a small part of that but what we think of as Gitmo is actually a Naval Base with this prison.These prisoners are in a US military base on foreign soil.

they were kidnapped, tortured and are denied their rights to a lawyer, and a trial. it is a sick joke

Kidnapped? Possibly. And probably right off the battle field. Tortured? Possibly. Just like what they've done. Denied rights to a lawyer? Great.

Interesting article:

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/04/us/gitmo-detainees-history/

A September 2013 report from the director of national intelligence reflected on what happened to the roughly 600 people who left Gitmo between its opening in 2002 and July 2013.

Of those, 100 -- or 16.6% of the released prisoners -- were "confirmed" to have returned "to terrorist activities." Seventeen of those died, while 27 ended up in custody, according to the DNI report.

An additional 70 are "suspected of reengaging," it said.

We're not talking about doctors and professionals taken from urban cities while they were legally practicing their professions. These are terrorists. A bit different, IMHO.

Definitely not some of the world's finest citizens.

The problem becomes "What do you do with them"?

When they aren't on US soil they aren't entitled to certain rights. If they are on US soil they inherit +/- everything almost as if they were US citizens.

I believe they are considered quasi prisoners of war and are under military jurisdiction. If they were taken to the US, I believe they would fall under civil or criminal court jurisdiction. Either way they would get a lot of "rights".

If they were on US soil and there was a trial imagine the circus just from a security standpoint. Besides, who wants to start importing those people to the US? Where would they be housed in the US? I hope not with the general population, even in a prison.

As it is they are captured afield and not entitled to US rights beyond that of a prisoner. I don't want them on US soil and I don't want them in the US system.

BTW, Gitmo is a US Naval Base that the US leased from Cuba many moons ago, even long before the Castros. The prison is a small part of that but what we think of as Gitmo is actually a Naval Base with this prison.These prisoners are in a US military base on foreign soil.

they were kidnapped, tortured and are denied their rights to a lawyer, and a trial. it is a sick joke

Kidnapped? Possibly. And probably right off the battle field. Tortured? Possibly. Just like what they've done. Denied rights to a lawyer? Great.

Interesting article:

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/04/us/gitmo-detainees-history/

A September 2013 report from the director of national intelligence reflected on what happened to the roughly 600 people who left Gitmo between its opening in 2002 and July 2013.

Of those, 100 -- or 16.6% of the released prisoners -- were "confirmed" to have returned "to terrorist activities." Seventeen of those died, while 27 ended up in custody, according to the DNI report.

An additional 70 are "suspected of reengaging," it said.

We're not talking about doctors and professionals taken from urban cities while they were legally practicing their professions. These are terrorists. A bit different, IMHO.

Definitely not some of the world's finest citizens.

how do you know what they have done, they could be innocent. no trial to prove they did anything

How do you know they were innocent? As much as many hate the US, I still have faith that at least some of these were seriously bad individuals. Like this guy, an occupant of Gitmo.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalid_Sheikh_Mohammed

Definitely not innocent.