Cheers for Obama's Committment to Close Guantánamo
In his 60 Minutes interview on Sunday, President-elect Barack Obama reaffirmed his intention to Close Guantánamo. He told Steve Kroft:
Music to our ears! What a difference an election makes!
Yes. I have said repeatedly that I intend to close Guantánamo, and I will follow through on that. I have said repeatedly that America doesn’t torture. And I’m gonna make sure that we don’t torture. Those are part and parcel of an effort to regain America’s moral stature in the world.
UPDATE: Video added 11/21/08 |
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Just yesterday, the ACLU's Chris Anders travelled to Guantánamo to observe the military commission hearings of Ibrahim al-Qosi and Mohammad Hashim, and reported that interest in the proceedings down there have taken a nosedive. He writes:
[E]veryone notices that attendance is way down. A couple of military personnel shut off the power in empty tents here in “Camp Justice.” As the only representative of a human rights group this week, my bed is the only one occupied in my six-bed tent. And the media pool is now down to just one reporter. It seems that all that is left to be done is for the new president to pull the plug on the whole operation on January 20.But we're not tossing out the orange ribbons just yet. Our work is not done. We need to keep up the momentum on this issue, and show President-elect Obama that he has our support to shut Guantánamo down on Day One. With an executive order, he can close Gitmo and shutter the military commissions system.
A lot of people are advising him to go slow, telling him it's too hard. He says he wants to do it. And he's reaffirmed this on national TV. Reaffirm your committment to support his efforts to close Guantánamo by signing this pledge. Show President-Elect Obama that you care about justice as much as he does.
Nov 21st, 2008 at 1:09pm
Closing Guantanamo is just the start, not the glorious end. There are 130 countries that practice torture. The US supports many of these countries. It will be very hard to end US support of these countries. This is especially true if torture drops from the news when President Obama closes Gitmo.
Nov 21st, 2008 at 10:04pm
with this plan to close Guantánamo let us also remind this administration that we will not tolerate an opening of a new secret detection center to replace the old one as a way to get around the legality of what is now happening at the current facility. Closing Guantánamo means also not allowing the program to continue in any shape or form.
Nov 21st, 2008 at 10:28pm
In the next week, thousands of earnest souls will go to Fort Benning to protest the School of the Americas ( Whinsec). There is no doubt that torture is taught there and ample evidence has been published on this although its ignored. This is a tremendous shame on our Nation and I hope President Obama will quickly address it.
Nov 21st, 2008 at 10:48pm
Perhaps I have not been paying as close attention as I should, but I have not been able to find anything which tells me where the inmates will go after Guantanamo closes. They are sent to their home countries, they will most likely be in worse shape than they are now.
Nov 21st, 2008 at 11:55pm
Injustice, in any other name still remains, injustice. Those false messiahs, who preach for equal justice, life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, democracy, civil & human rights need to prove to themselves and to the rest of the world, they stand for what they preach for.
Justice has to prevail over internal political consumption & global political monopoly & manipulation.
In hopeless world of tyrants & false messiahs, Obama's election & words rings & represents hope & enlightenment.
For justice to prevail, Obama must deliver, on the platform he is elected for, building a better America & a better world.
Nov 22nd, 2008 at 12:43am
President Obama is going to close Guantànamo and we thank him to put it as a priority on his agenda. Gitmo is only but one torture jail camp supported by the U.S. in foreign countries. There is also U.S. training torture camps and the whole industry of making torture machinery and tools. ALL THIS HAS TO STOP AS WELL! Thank you President OBama to put an end to the entire machinery of the U.S. practice of torture by closing all its industry and camps at home and all over the world.
Nov 22nd, 2008 at 12:44am
at home and all over the world
Nov 22nd, 2008 at 12:51am
Closing Guantanamo is a very high priority, as is refusing to use torture. I join the multitude in endorsing your decision to act swiftly when you take office.
Nov 22nd, 2008 at 12:55am
Closing SOA is a high priority as well, and one that I trust you will commit to in the immediate future.
Nov 22nd, 2008 at 1:30am
Closing guantanamo is, and has always been, the right decision.
Nov 22nd, 2008 at 3:49am
Thank you for posting this and showing results of our efforts to depose Bush!
Nov 22nd, 2008 at 2:15pm
We need a new paradigm, a peace paradigm -no more wars - no more brutality toward our fellow humans under any circumstances.
Nov 22nd, 2008 at 2:35pm
After closing GETMO, let`s close ALL our prisons in ALL the counties around the world WHO PRACTICE TORTURE, and ALL the PRIVATE PRISONS IN OUR COUNTRY !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nov 22nd, 2008 at 5:51pm
President Elect Obama is truly a breath of fresh air.
Nov 28th, 2008 at 5:23pm
All of the Sea Islands off the coast of S.C. between Charleston,S.C. and Savannah,Ga. are territories of the federal government and that is why the detainees can be housed in Charleston,S.C. A Mrs. Dunn 1 Mc Teer Dr. St. Helena, S.C. 29920 has all of the law to prove this. She is 80 years old and was kept at the BCDC for 4 years without being charged. Thank you,
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