Barack Obama, the US president-elect, has appeared to soften his election campaign promise to shut the US detention camp in Guantanamo Bay as one of his first acts as US president, saying its closure would be "a challenge". "It is more difficult than a lot of people realise ..." Obama said during an interview aired on Sunday with US broadcaster ABC. "I think it's going to take some time ... but I don't want to be ambiguous about this - we are going to close Guantanamo," he told the This Week programme. Sunday also marked the seventh anniversary of the first prisoners arriving at Guantanamo.
Barack Obama, the US president-elect, has appeared to soften his election campaign promise to shut the US detention camp in Guantanamo Bay as one of his first acts as US president, saying its closure would be "a challenge".
"It is more difficult than a lot of people realise ..." Obama said during an interview aired on Sunday with US broadcaster ABC.
"I think it's going to take some time ... but I don't want to be ambiguous about this - we are going to close Guantanamo," he told the This Week programme.
Sunday also marked the seventh anniversary of the first prisoners arriving at Guantanamo.
President-elect Barack Obama is preparing to issue an executive order his first week in office -- and perhaps his first day -- to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, according to two presidential transition team advisers. It's unlikely the detention facility at the Navy base in Cuba will be closed anytime soon. In an interview last weekend, Mr. Obama said it would be "a challenge" to close it even within the first 100 days of his administration. But the order, which one adviser said could be issued as early as Jan. 20, would start the process of deciding what to do with the estimated 250 al Qaeda and Taliban suspects and potential witnesses who are being held there. Most have not been charged with a crime. The Guantanamo directive would be one of a series of executive orders Mr. Obama is planning to issue shortly after he takes office next Tuesday, according to the two advisers. Also expected is an executive order about certain interrogation methods, but details were not immediately available Monday.
It's unlikely the detention facility at the Navy base in Cuba will be closed anytime soon. In an interview last weekend, Mr. Obama said it would be "a challenge" to close it even within the first 100 days of his administration.
But the order, which one adviser said could be issued as early as Jan. 20, would start the process of deciding what to do with the estimated 250 al Qaeda and Taliban suspects and potential witnesses who are being held there. Most have not been charged with a crime.
The Guantanamo directive would be one of a series of executive orders Mr. Obama is planning to issue shortly after he takes office next Tuesday, according to the two advisers. Also expected is an executive order about certain interrogation methods, but details were not immediately available Monday.
People flipped out about Obama "softening" his stance after the interview with Snuffalufagus. It was fairly clear to me that Obama was talking about what you've talked about numerous times: That it would take some time to work through the legalities and logistics. He was quite explicit about his intention to close it.
Once again, the American bloggers are drama queens. But the trend towards being too stupid to read is a little worrying. I mean, I know this is America and all, but still: As with the entitlements nonsense, it helps to, you know, read what he said.
I really can't wait until the transition is over. Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
And some of the evidence against them may be tainted even though it's true. And so how to balance creating a process that adheres to rule of law, habeas corpus, basic principles of Anglo American legal system, by doing it in a way that doesn't result in releasing people who are intent on blowing us up.
Keeping people you can't convict for anything locked away while preserving the rule of law, habeas corpus and basic principles of Anglo American legal system, sounds like quite a challenge to me. Wait this is important. Someone is wrong on the Internet.
by doing it in a way that doesn't result in releasing people who are intent on blowing us up.
This is nonsense. Even if those guys were not "intent on blowing" them up after Guantanamo experience they may very well be. But who the hell knows that? Psychics? And about legal limitations, the same way like their Senate and Congress went against their constitution and laws by installing Guantanamo, torture etc. as legal, and now they should put it back in order. Simple as that. But they do not WANT to...that's the problem...Because it is so convenient..,.
