ACLU Statement on President's Guantánamo Comments

[ProSense]

ACLU Statement on President's Guantánamo Comments

NEW YORK – At a press briefing today, President Obama restated his belief that the prison at Guantánamo should be closed. Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, responded to the president's comments by detailing immediate actions the president could take.

"We welcome the president's continuing commitment to closing Guantánamo and putting an end to the indefinite detention regime there," Romero said. "There are two things the president should do. One is to appoint a senior point person so that the administration's Guantánamo closure policy is directed by the White House and not by Pentagon bureaucrats. The president can also order the secretary of defense to start certifying for transfer detainees who have been cleared, which is more than half the Guantánamo population."

"There's more to be done, but these are the two essential first steps the president can take now to break the Guantánamo logjam," Romero said. "We couldn't agree more with President Obama's statement that the 'idea that we would still maintain forever a group of individuals who have not been tried – that is contrary to who we are, it is contrary to our interests, and it needs to stop.'"

http://www.aclu.org/criminal-law-reform-human-rights-national-security-prisoners-rights/aclu-statement-presidents

[librechik]

1. thank you ACLU for sensible directions to go on G'tmo

[Cha]

2. Thanks PS.. here's a tweet from Leahy on PBO and gitmo

Sen. Patrick Leahy ✔ @SenatorLeahy

President is right on #Gitmo.It's unnecessary, expensive, inefficient & doesn't make us safer.Yet Congress stands in the way of closing it.

[ProSense]

3. Thanks for that. n/t

[AnotherMcIntosh]

4. To show he sincerely wants to close Gitmo, he could invite the press and hold a conference at Gitmo.

Bring down the video cameras.

Let the American people see what is happening.

If he truly wants to close Guantánamo and if Congress is truly standing in the way, he could be heroic in forcing Guantánamo to be closed.

If.

[ProSense]

5. Get real! n/t

[AnotherMcIntosh]

6. You're right. You know, I know, everyone already knows how sincere he is.

[morningfog]

7. Will Obama take up either of the two recommendations?

Probably not.

This is hardly a ringing endorsement form the ACLU. They are basically seizing the PR moment to push the President.

[Number23]

8. "We couldn't agree more with President Obama's statement"

And yet, this forum will STILL be bogged down with idiotic whines about why OBAMA and OBAMA ONLY hasn't closed Guantanamo Bay.

K&R

[sheshe2]

9. K&R! ProSense!