MSNBC: Obama considers moves to close Guantanamo prison
Steve Benen of MSNBC reports on Guantanamo Bay:
As we last discussed in May, President Obama has received a fair amount of criticism from the left about the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. The president vowed to close the prison, and though he’s had success reducing its population, the facility remains open.
That’s not for lack of presidential effort. Obama has tried, repeatedly, to pursue a policy that used to enjoy bipartisan support, but Congress – including members from both parties – has placed inflexible restrictions on the administration, preventing real progress. In other words, the president hasn’t closed the prison because lawmakers simply won’t let him.
The Wall Street Journal reported overnight that Obama isn’t done. On the contrary, he’s reportedly weighing a pretty bold move on executive power.
The White House is drafting options that would allow President Barack Obama to close the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by overriding a congressional ban on bringing detainees to the U.S., senior administration officials said.
In case anyone’s forgotten, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) reminded his colleagues earlier this year that the prison, a symbolic scourge around the world, is wildly expensive and entirely unnecessary since the existing federal prison system already houses plenty of terrorists.
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By: Steve Benen
Source: MSNBC