U.S. State Department's Guantanamo envoy resigns

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

U.S. State Department's Guantanamo envoy resigns

BY MATT SPETALNICK
WASHINGTON Tue Dec 23, 2014 12:47am EST

(Reuters) - The State Department envoy responsible for negotiating prisoner transfers from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is resigning, officials said on Monday, even as President Barack Obama is promising a stepped-up push to close the facility.

The surprise announcement of Clifford Sloan’s departure followed a flurry of detainee repatriations and resettlements, though officials at the State Department and White House had made clear their frustration with the slow handling of such moves by outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

Sloan assumed the post in July 2013 and the State Department said he was stepping down and returning to his Washington law practice after finishing an 18-month commitment.

A senior U.S. official said another factor in Sloan's decision was that the Pentagon “certainly hasn't been as helpful as they could have been” in speeding up the process of sending prisoners home or resettling them in other countries.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/23/us-usa-guantanamo-envoy-idUSKBN0K109E20141223

[delrem]

1. The sooner gitmo is over, the sooner we can all pretend it didn't happen.

And that was already yesterday.

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. Sounds as if the WH is helpless and the military is running things.

"White House had made clear their frustration with the slow handling of such moves by outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel."


"The Pentagon “certainly hasn't been as helpful as they could have been”