Obama's big push on Guantanamo

[Drunken Irishman]

President Obama's push to close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp is going into overdrive, with more detainee transfers in the last two months of 2014 than in the previous three years combined.

Since the Nov. 4 elections, Obama has released 22 detainees, in sharp contrast to the period from 2011 to 2013 inclusive, when only 19 were released.

In the first six months of 2014, he had released only six detainees from the facility in Cuba — including the five members of the Taliban who were swapped for prisoner of war Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.

With less than two years left in office, the president appears to be going full throttle, promising in a December interview on CNN "to do everything" he can to fulfill his 2008 campaign promise of shutting down Guantanamo, despite congressional opposition.

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/228350-obamas-big-push-on-guantanamo

[zipplewrath]

1. Long way to go

To some extent the recent push has been with the "low hanging fruit". There are real tough cases left and he hasn't had much luck putting them on trial. I hope he's successful, but I'm not holding my breath.

[madokie]

27. If he isn't successful it won't be because of his failings

he's trying and has been trying since day one best I remember.
When it comes to republiCONs I don't hold my breath and this is a republiCON deal if it gets done or not. they hold most all the cards on this one

[zipplewrath]

32. Plenty-o-dem help

I was massively disappointed in the amount of resistance he found in he democrats when he showed up in 2009 on this issue. But I'll also admit I thought the position he staked out didn't help. He didn't want to close Gitmo, he wanted to move it. He defended indefinite detentions without trial. And his track record on conducting trials has been spotty at best. This is another Bush mess he has been unable to clean up. And another one where trying to work with the GOP to do it has been a failure.

[madokie]

33. What I seen happen was the strong opposition to his plan

from republiCONs, not much resistance from dems and they were mostly blue dogs but they really don't count as they're wolves in sheeps clothing and we all knew that.

No his problem is with the republiCONs on gitmo.
He floated an idea to get dialogue started but it was reported he demanded it, you know the kind of shit the pukes have been doing from day one.

[Cha]

2. The President is doing all he can in spite of the Obstruction.. Including..

"Mr. Obama is also seeking to reshape the national debate over closing the facility in Cuba by casting it as a fiscal issue, arguing that keeping it open is cost-prohibitive."

MOre..
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025995547

Thank you, DI.. Happy New Year!

[Cha]

3. KICK

[rhett o rick]

4. This is good news but what has changed? Some here have been suggesting these actions

for years but were told that Pres Obama's hands were tied. What has changed?

[babylonsister]

6. He no longer cares if he pisses people in Congress off

probably. He's got nothing to lose and they won't bargain anyway.

[arely staircase]

8. this nt

[rhett o rick]

9. I am afraid what you are saying is true. He didn't do it before because he believed he could

deal with Republicans. How sadly naive for the President of the United States. Prisoners languished in prison because he didn't want to piss off the Republicans. If now he doesn't care, then he did care before. That was a terrible mistake.

[babylonsister]

11. Oh,

you are so full of poop!

Terrible mistake? Recalcitrant Congress, how about that? No one wanted to get rid of Gitmo, and you know that. Even a Dem like Sanders was against it.

But yes, President Obama has proved time and again how naive he is.

[rhett o rick]

12. What? I was agreeing with you. You said he no longer cares if he pisses off Congress which

means up until now he did care if he pissed off Congress. That means he didn't take these current actions before because he felt that if he didn't piss off the Republicans maybe they'd be nice to him. That's either foolish or naive. You choose.

Why did he wait until now to take these actions?

[babylonsister]

14. Stop.

You want a reaction so we can argue, so I won't. Think what you want and I will also.

[mopinko]

15. were you born yesterday? never heard the term lame duck?

please.

[rhett o rick]

16. So you think that all you have to do to explain this behavior is to

use the words "lame duck". And I wasn't born yesterday, that's why I ask questions instead of blindly following. He left these prisoners in prison because he didn't want to take this action earlier. I ask why? And the best you got is "lame duck" like that's a complete sentence. Someone else here tried to say that now he doesn't care what the Republicans think. That means he cared before. That means he let these prisoners languish in prison because he cared what the Republicans thought.

Some of us suggested he do this years ago and we where told by his fans that he couldn't, that the mean Republicans were forcing him not to. Now we know that wasn't true. He didn't do it earlier, not because he couldn't, but because he choose not to.

[mopinko]

17. or, it took a great deal of work that you know nothing about.

he didnt just walk in and start opening cell doors.
the justice system here moves slowly. and carefully.

this shit doesnt happen overnight.
it didnt happen because he changed his mind. it happened because he did whatever had to be done to make it happen.
no finger snapping allowed.

jeebus.
"i'm just asking"

thin soup. really thin soup man.

[rhett o rick]

18. Some said all along that he could do this and were disparaged by those that defended him

by claiming he couldn't do it because his actions were being obstructed by the horrible Republicans.

I guess you guys believe that rationalizations and blind faith bring happiness.

[mopinko]

19. i guess you think

you are fooling people.

[rhett o rick]

22. I am a Democrat. I do not blindly follow any leader. I hold all my elected officials accountable.

I said a long time ago that the President had a lot of actions available to him to move the prisoners out of Gitmo. His followers assured me that he would if he could. But he didn't until now. And your answer is that it's 11th degree chess and we should never question him.

[mopinko]

30. not never question, but

the innocent question is the friend of the troll.

[babylonsister]

20. Wow.

He's trying to get them out, and is succeeding. Who has done that lately, or tried to?

Yea, you suggested it years ago because you apparently didn't know that it wouldn't happen, and he had other fishes to fry.

Blah. Blah. Blah.


Still the best Prez in my lifetime so far.

[Drunken Irishman]

24. Read the article. He has been doing it.

It's not just something he started the last week - he's been doing it the last couple years. My guess is that he still has to find nations that will allow for the release and certain prisoners won't be released due to their background - and without any chance of prisons in the U.S. taking 'em, pretty much stuck there unless the entire prison is shutdown.

[mopinko]

31. i suspect this was the main hangup.

that and not wanting to release anyone who is gonna end up on the front page of all the papers.

[sheshe2]

5. KnR with a note~

That has to be impossible, I read it here on DU. The President is a failure. He betrayed us. He has no spine!

I am serious DI, I read it here so it must be true.

Kidding aside. Kudos to this President.

[treestar]

7. Good news

Congress should have closed this as President Obama wanted them to years ago.

[rhett o rick]

10. Yes and he should have taken these actions years ago. nm

[loyalsister]

21. He had a second term to lose

And, imagine what republicans would have put on the table if the president didn't hold back some. Everything most of us hate and conservative Dems are willing to vote for.

[rhett o rick]

23. I don't disagree. It was a political decision and not the fact that his hands were tied as many

tried to use as justification.

[loyalsister]

25. That did tie his hands

If he had not won a second term, what do you think Mitt Romney would have done with it? Especially if John McCain was breathing his hawkishness down Mitt's neck?

[Drunken Irishman]

35. His hands have been tied...

He's been doing this since 2011 - a whole year before his reelection. He can't just open the doors and say, "you're free to go!"

He needs to find nations that are willing to accept the prisoners, make sure the prisoners he releases aren't, you know, actual threats, or find prisons in the United States where he can transfer 'em to.

[rhett o rick]

36. Forgive me I am getting confused. Your OP says "President Obama's push to close the Guantanamo Bay

detention camp is going into overdrive," and "the president appears to be going "full throttle," Why is he going "full throttle" now instead of in 2011? I appreciate that he is now going "full throttle" but some were asking for that in 2011 and were told here that he was being obstructed by the REpublicans.

[Drunken Irishman]

38. You are confused. It's okay, though. It happens to the best of us.

Maybe he's going full throttle because he's finally gaining places to put these prisoners?

He has been obstructed by the GOP. It's why, even now, he's only doing it prisoner by prisoner - and not emptying the prisons as he could if congress would vote to shut it down.

[rhett o rick]

39. Well, in any event it is good news. nm

[Drunken Irishman]

40. Agreed.

[spanone]

13. k&r...

[riqster]

26. Better late than never.

[great white snark]

28. K&R and yet another example of how President Obama can never win with some people.

Not only does it have to be done how they want but also when they want.

[Jamaal510]

29. This thread could use some more love. eom

[AtomicKitten]

34. Bravo! Shut 'er down.

[mcar]

37. K&R

It takes time to find homes for these people. Nice to hear it's moving forward.

[Hekate]

41. Go for broke, Mr President! "Lame Duck's" just another word for nothin left to lose....

....There's a lotta freedom in that!