In Confidential Memo, Hillary Clinton Urged Obama To Close Gitmo

[riversedge]

Source: HuffingtonPost



In Confidential Memo, Hillary Clinton Urged Obama To Close Gitmo
"We must signal to our old and emerging allies alike that we remain serious about turning the page of GTMO and the practices of the prior decade."

Ryan J. Reilly


Posted: 11/29/2015 05:59 PM EST

WASHINGTON -- Weeks before she stepped down as secretary of state, Hillary Clinton wrote a memo urging President Barack Obama to step up his administration's efforts to close the military detention facility in Guantanamo Bay in his second term. In the confidential January 2013 memo obtained by The Huffington Post, Clinton told Obama she worried that support for closing Guantanamo would further erode unless the administration took action.

"We must signal to our old and emerging allies alike that we remain serious about turning the page of GTMO and the practices of the prior decade," Clinton wrote in the document, using the military abbreviation for the U.S. naval base. "The revitalization of transfers, efforts to prosecute some detainees in federal courts, a longer-term approach to the return of Yemeni detainees, and credible periodic reviews would send the signal and renew a credible detention policy."

She also encouraged Obama to consider moving Guantanamo detainees into the country. "If the law permits, I recommend that you consider transfers to the United States for pre-trial detention, trial, and sentences," Clinton wrote.

The memo laid out three steps Obama should take in the wake of renewed restrictions that Congress placed on the president's ability to transfer detainees from the Guantanamo Bay facility. One of Clinton's key suggestions was for Obama to appoint a senior White House official to "lead all GTMO efforts," stating that an "impasse" on detainee transfers would continue without centralized leadership. Clinton said restrictions had "effectively prevented any transfers" and said the Pentagon and other agencies had been "wary" of certifying that a number of security conditions were in place and allowing transfers to move forward. "We need a White House lead," Clinton wrote.
..............

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hillary-clinton-guantanamo-memo_5654cc40e4b0258edb33537b

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Pres. Obama has been trying his best to do this.

[Proserpina]

1. Well, it's conveniently not confidential anymore, is it?

Edward Snowden, pick up the white courtesy phone, please!!

[ToxMarz]

2. 'The confidential January 2013 memo,

"Revitalizing the Guantanamo Closure Policy," was disclosed by the State Department in response to a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by The Huffington Post over two and a half years ago.'

How conveinient.

[riversedge]

3. Do you have a beef??

[ToxMarz]

4. Seems you do.

[riversedge]

10. no, I do not.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

5. Hasn't he been trying since day 1 of his first term?

Does she think the Presidency is a magic wand to just do whatever you want? Or that he's too stupid, and needs her to tell him how to do it? How incredibly condescending.

[morningfog]

6. But what is her position on indefinite detention?

That is the true human right abuse, which Obama has claimed a right to do.

Where does Hillary stand?

[riversedge]

11. where does Bernie stand on indefinite detention?

[morningfog]

12. He is 100% against it. Now, back to HIllary, who is the subject of this thread

Sanders voted against the NDAA of 2012 and 2013, each of which granted the President the power to violate the Bill of Rights and indefinitely detain without charge. He was public about this.

Hillary, however, seems to embrace this abuse of human rights, as does Obama. It is an untenable position and should end now. Does HIllary still support this human right abuse?

[riversedge]

13. Does the article state that??

[morningfog]

15. Did you read the article you posted? Or the memo?

The memo, which she signed off on suggests "conducting credible periodic reviews of the detainees who are designated for continued detention without trial."

She explicitly supports indefinite detention, with a review process for the 46 detainees designated for continued detention. The thrust of her memo is on transfers of the detainees other than those 46, which represent the most blatant human rights abuses.

[riversedge]

16. Yes, she wants reviews since there are prisoners in

Gitmo who, for various reasons (Republicans most often) can not be relieved. It is the humane thing to do. But no where does it say she supports indefinite retention. Read this from the article.



....Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act on Wednesday, but issued a signing statement that could be seen as an indication he was considering executive action to close the facility. In a statement, a spokesman indicated that Clinton would want to work with Congress to close the facility should she become president.

"Hillary Clinton supports the closure of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, and as the memo makes clear, she has consistently sought to work with Congress towards that goal," Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon said in a statement.

[morningfog]

17. Read the memo. This is a separate issue than the transfers.

Republicans have made the transfers of those who have been cleared problematic. Republicans have made it difficult to prosecute those who are ready to tried. And republicans have made it difficult to transfer all the detainees to the US in order to close the facility.

However, none of that has to do with the 46 declared to be held indefinitely by Obama. That was Obama's decision and his order. Even if republicans got their ass out of the way, Obama says he has a right to hold those 46 forever. They are not eligible or considered for transfer. There is no intention or effort to prosecute them.

And Hillary supported that in her memo, wanting only "periodic credible review" whatever the hell that means.

[blackspade]

7. Another "Obama weak," "Clinton strong," article.

[harun]

14. Not the first or the last.

[morningfog]

8. Prosecute or release. Hillary seems to support indefinite detention, like Obama.

Even if the detainees were transferred to the States, the 40-50 Obama claims he can hold FOREVER with no charge would still be held.

End this human right abuse. It is not enough to say "close gitmo."

[Javaman]

9. wouldn't it have been amazing if she had released this publically years ago...

when she wrote it.

You know, take a position that wasn't politically popular at the time?

I know, call me crazy.

timing is everything.

Trying to show her credibility is one thing, trying to win political points is another.

and this is the basic issue I have with Hillary.

it isn't the fact that she supported closing gitmo, good on her, it's the timing of the release of this memo.

It's one thing to be for something, but it's another to be genuine about your support.

Meaning, releasing this information at an opportunistic time as opposed to coming out 2 years ago with this information when it was politically unpopular is another.

meh, politics: just more moving around of the mirrors and redirecting the smoke.

[fbc]

18. Sounds like a Guantanamo contractor forgot to send in their yearly to the Clinton Foundation.

[maxsolomon]

19. Why the need to lay this at Clinton's or Obama's feet?

the Republicans have been blocking the transfer of Guantanamo prisoners by including poison pills in must-sign legislation. they started the place, they designed the torture practices, IT'S THEIR BABY.

keep your eye on the ball and quit this internecine finger pointing.

[TwilightGardener]

20. I'm urging you to do something...you were already working on.

I'm revealing that I've adopted a position....that was already the position of the administration for years. Yeah, good stuff.