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"Eric Holder Vows to Close Guantanamo"

First, take your victory lap. Then retire the track forever:

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on Monday the United States would close the Guantanamo Bay facility holding terrorism suspects in Cuba, despite missing a previous deadline to do so.

On an official visit to Paris, Holder stressed what he called unprecedented intelligence-sharing ties between France and the United States against a united enemy, al Qaeda, that he said still held the two countries and its allies in its sights.

The recent killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was unlikely to affect the timing of the closure of the Guantanamo facility, Holder said.

“Although we have not closed Guantanamo within the time period that we initially indicated … it is still the intention of the president, and it is still my intention, to close the facility that exists in Guantanamo,” Holder told a joint news briefing with French Interior Minister Claude Gueant.

“We think that by closing that facility the national security of the United States will be enhanced,” he added.

U.S. President Barack Obama pledged to shut down the Guantanamo Bay facility in the first year of his presidency and transfer its inmates to prisons in the United States.

Sure. Take them all to DC. Maybe they can cut spending and get the debt under control.

Of course, I suspect the idea of prison riots or attacks on surrounding cities and towns in jihadi protest won’t sit well with many Americans come election time. Unless, of course, Obama and Holder can convince all the urban intellectuals that such prisoners will always be penned over there, effectively playing them off one another while appealing to their sense of cloistered self-righteousness and heady self regard.

34 Replies to “"Eric Holder Vows to Close Guantanamo"”

  1. Pablo says:

    Unless, of course, Obama and Holder can convince all the urban intellectuals that such prisoners will always be penned over there, effectively playing them off one another while appealing to their sense of cloistered self-righteousness and heady self regard.

    If they can’t convince the Democrats of that, which they can’t, they’ve got no place to put those poor misunderstood detainees. Maybe Holder’s got room in his basement.

  2. Joe says:

    “We think that by closing that facility the national security of the United States will be enhanced,” he added

    How is that? By shipping jihadis unlawful detainees to a federal prison near you? What could go wrong.

  3. JD says:

    I have always thought that they would keep it open throughtout their Administration, and then close it to much fanfare right before they leave office.

  4. Joe says:

    I suspect Obama has no intention of closing Gitmo anytime soon (because do you seriously believe Obama will ship any detainees from Gitmo to the state befoe the 2012 election?), but by saying he does he gives some hope to his libtard base and he still has the cover of Osama’s demise from indies and the right. So I am guessing this is politics as usual.

  5. Joe says:

    JD has the timing down right.

  6. Slartibartfast says:

    The problem that Holder and Obama have is that Congress has specifically withheld all funds from the transport of any foreign combatant prisoners out of Guantanamo. Until he gets Congress to change its mind, or figures out some way to circumvent, Teh Won is shit out of luck.

  7. Slartibartfast says:

    Racists!

  8. Bob Reed says:

    These guys truly are educated idiots; or the gang that couldn’t shoot straight for real.

    As Pablo mentioned, this doesn’t poll well with Democrats, on Capitol hill, let alone all flavors of John Q. Public…

    And when this is broadcast, as it most certainly will be, with all of the concomitant arguments regarding whether enhanced interrogation or GTMO “worked”, it will effectively erase any bounce Obama recieved from having bin Laden iced. Hell, it may undercut his general popularity.

    I wonder why he even keeps Holder around? Favor to the Clintonistas? Or just a solid for a brother?

    Because dude is seriously inept, and politically tone deaf.

  9. Bob Reed says:

    Excellent point Slart.

  10. Spiny Norman says:

    Until he gets Congress to change its mind, or figures out some way to circumvent, Teh Won is shit out of luck.

    “Circumvent” is an official policy of the Obama Administration, Slart.

  11. Slartibartfast says:

    Yes, Democrats want Gitmo closed down, but its prisoners? NIMBY!

    And don’t you dare just release them. It’s actually a bad situation for Obama, but one that he can blame on someone else. He wants to close down Gitmo, but his hands have been (so far) effectively tied.

  12. Slartibartfast says:

    I’m not actually sure that he can get around this one, Spiny. And if he figures out a way, Congress will just block it.

    He’d have to invent a way for Congress to be infringing on his executive powers. My guess is that he’d have to get DOJ to take it the SCOTUS that Congress was in effect violating the prisoner’s right to a speedy trial, or some such. But IANAL.

  13. mojo says:

    “Ok, boys – set up the catapult and chum the bay – we’re releasing prisoners today!”

  14. cranky-d says:

    OT: bumper sticker seen on the way home from the gym – “Lobotomize Republicans – It’s the Law.” It was a few years old at least.

    Civility!

  15. Hey Rock! Watch me take a rabbit out of this hat!

    Again?

    Nuthin’ up ma sleeve… Presto! We’re all safer!

    *BLAM*

    Must be the wrong hat…

  16. Carin says:

    Slartibartfast posted on 5/10 @ 10:26 am

    Racists!

    Ha. the comments are precious.

  17. Carin says:

    Shouldn’t we be having a moment of silence for the governator’s marriage fail?

  18. LTC John says:

    Dick Durbin fell all over himself to volunteer an Illinois prison for Gitmo transfers. He is just that kind of giving fellow that we are so lucky to have in “the World’s Greatest Deliberative Body” standing up for us here in the Land of Lincoln.

    May God save us from him and his ilk…

    LMC – that would make for an excellent animation, not so much for real life, however. I fear the *BLAM* might be a doozy.

  19. Carin says:

    Actually closing Gitmo – NOW – would be a gutsy move.

    I say go ahead and try.

  20. Carin says:

    “Ok, boys – set up the catapult and chum the bay – we’re releasing prisoners today!”

    Could we send them to Martyr’s Sea?

  21. dicentra says:

    In other news, a great summary of why the GOP will always suck:

    Many people assume that the dismal Republican performance in cutting the country-killing deficit in the United States is due to loss of nerve or incompetence. No, it is due to being members of a governing class that could not imagine actually doing what constituents who voted mostly want: Quit spending their money on foolish projects. The political class is no longer capable of quitting; the system will collapse first. Put bluntly: Its hard core support now comes mainly from the beneficiaries of those projects.

    Please pay attention to this, Mr. Hewitt: they’re not weak; they’re CORRUPT.

  22. proudvastrightwingconspirator says:

    Carin,
    The Schwarzenegger/Shriver marriage was always a sham.
    In reality, it was just a genetic experiment to breed a bullet proof Kennedy!

  23. geoffb says:

    OT: and committing a hate crime at the same time, a twofer.

    If you wanted to confirm the notion that elections are a waste of time, you could hardly do it more swiftly than the new Canadian Conservative majority government is with its omnibus crime bill. […]
    …the lesson of the post-Second World War west is that you don’t need a presidency-for-life if you’ve got a bureaucracy-for-life.

  24. cranky-d says:

    Being together too much will put a strain on a marriage.

  25. cranky-d says:

    He’s probably hanging around the house too much, trying to legislate what his wife does. That won’t work.

  26. Slartibartfast says:

    Dick Durbin fell all over himself to volunteer an Illinois prison for Gitmo transfers.

    Interesting, given that the Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act For Fiscal Year 2011 was

    12/22/2010 Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.

    I’m not going to link it for you because the links are fleeting. Just go to thomas.loc.gov, under “More Legislative Information” click “Public Laws”, then when the page opens under “Select Congress” click on “111”. Then under “Select Range of Public Laws” click on “111-301 – 111-383”. 111-383 is the defense authorization bill in question; click on “H.R 6523” and you can look at any and all actions, roll call votes, etc. Click on “Major Congressional Actions” and then the 12/17 roll call vote to see who voted for it. Who voted against it were 42 democrats and 6 Republicans, out of 430-odd votes.

    Signed into Law by President Obama in early January. So: passed by a Democrat-majority congress, signed by President Obama. What’s there not to like?

  27. Slartibartfast says:

    Oh, and text of the bill (now Law):

    SEC. 1032. PROHIBITION ON THE USE OF FUNDS FOR THE TRANSFER
    OR RELEASE OF INDIVIDUALS DETAINED AT UNITED
    STATES NAVAL STATION, GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA.
    None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act
    for fiscal year 2011 may be used to transfer, release, or assist
    in the transfer or release to or within the United States, its territories,
    or possessions of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed or any other
    detainee who—
    (1) is not a United States citizen or a member of the
    Armed Forces of the United States; and
    (2) is or was held on or after January 20, 2009, at United
    States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by the Department
    of Defense.

    This being a defense appropriations bill, there is of course a great deal more.

  28. Slartibartfast says:

    I bet Obama is pining for the line-item veto now.

    But maybe not.

  29. SteveG says:

    They’ll get around that funding bill… and I hope they do.
    The GOP should pin all of this on the “Obama Administration” not Holder (Holder will be dumped after closing Guantanamo and before the election)
    Obama’s gutsy call will fade off into thin air on this one

  30. SDN says:

    I’m not actually sure that he can get around this one, Spiny. And if he figures out a way, Congress will just block it.

    Slart, just give that up. I’m sorry, Obama can do any damn thing he wants as long as he’s got 34 Senators who won’t confirm impeachment.

  31. LTC John says:

    Slart – Durbin had pitched a semi-vacant prison near the Quad Cities for the site as it would “create jobs”. The AP flacks ran and found anyone who would mumble something positive about the move in an attempt to show how “popular” the decision would be… then, what you describe above hit the Congress and, despite the MSM’s attempts to shine that particular dog turd, Durbin got real quiet on the subject real fast. Heh.

  32. Mikey NTH says:

    I’m sure Mr. Holder will get this done – as soon as the President gets off the back nine and makes a decision agreeing with this. Which will be sometime in late 2040, by my reckoning.

  33. Slartibartfast says:

    I’m sorry, Obama can do any damn thing he wants as long as he’s got 34 Senators who won’t confirm impeachment.

    Well, if you’re going to go full throttle on disregard for the law, I submit that the US military has to be compliant as well. Can’t move prisoners without their cooperation & consent.

  34. Slartibartfast says:

    I’m sorry, Obama can do any damn thing he wants as long as he’s got 34 Senators who won’t confirm impeachmentdoesn’t queer his chances for re-election.

    Fixed!

Comments are closed.