Obama says can close Guantanamo jail while keeping Americans safe

[ericson00]

Source: Yahoo

MANILA (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama vowed on Thursday to press ahead with the release of his plan on how he hopes to close the Guantanamo military prison but said last week’s Paris attacks would stoke further congressional resistance to his efforts.

Obama drew a link between a bid by Republicans to block the inflow of Syrian refugees to the United States, based on concerns they could ignite Paris-style violence in American cities, and their opposition to the closing of the Guantanamo detention center at the U.S. Navy base in Cuba.

While attending an Asia-Pacific summit in Manila, he spoke amid fresh delays in his administration’s submission to Congress of a plan aimed at meeting his long-standing pledge to shut the internationally condemned prison for foreign terrorism suspects.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-says-close-guantanamo-while-keeping-americans-safe-071703377.html

---

I love Obama's domestic policy agenda, like healthcare, lgbt rights, the economy, the environment. Hence why I voted twice for him, even after his 2008 primary dirty tricks.

But does he not get people are scared? His attitude towards reactions to Paris/ISIS is gonna further destroy the Party brand downticket. Not to mention HRC's presidential prospects.

It should be closed, but first things first! First, priority number one; reform the system to try the people they get. Then, find a replacement. THEN, close it down.

[uppityperson]

1. I'd rather he speak firmly backed with reason as he does than preying on emotions

[Truprogressive85]

2. What ?

So you think we should keep GItmo open ?

[ericson00]

4. he should save the issue for when the shock of Paris dies down.

also, he should first reform the system to try the terror suspects. Then shut it down. There are priorities, and not all can happen at once.

[Truprogressive85]

5. Save the issue?

Extremists use Gitmo as a tool, Obama is correct want to closing it

As others have try "suspect" in military tribunal and if they are guilty send them to max security prison

[ericson00]

6. extremists will use ANYTHING as a recruitment tool. They are not rational!

they will never stop hating us.

That is why people tend not to negotiate with terrorists. Terrorists must not extort our country.

[Truprogressive85]

8. well Obama is correct

one of his campaign promises was to close Gitmo and it should be done period !

[drray23]

3. of course we should close it

It is a shame we still have it open after all these years. The argument the GOP has is ridiculous. For those in there that are truly dangerous terrorists if any, we can host them in a maximum security prison, nobody ever escaped from one. I dont know what the issue is. More importantly would be to give these men fair trials. The vast majority were just picked up on the battlefield and were no terrorists.

[mwrguy]

7. Close it now

Those people have suffered enough.

[getagrip_already]

9. closing it doesn't mean release

and they aren't suffering anywhere nearly as badly as they would in a supermax prison. Their current conditions are better than virtually any us prison.

So yes, shut it down, but only because it is an extrajudicial farce. Not because anybody is being abused (torture ended with the last regime change in dc).

supermax isolation can and does result in permanent psychosis. Those conditions are not present in gitmo.

[Jefferson23]

10. Your commentary is surreal..very sad. n/t

[kentauros]

11. I don't understand the Big Fear people have

against keeping them in federal prisons here. Do people believe that they are all masterminds at escaping prison?