Would President Obama shut down Guantanamo? What would he do with the prisoners?
These were just some questions I was asking this morning, after reading the NYT Editorial "The Rule of Law in Guantanamo".
The Bush administration admitted long ago that the 17 Uighur detainees were not a threat to this country, but it would not allow them into the United States. Instead, Washington began asking other countries, mostly in Europe, to give the detainees asylum from China, which was demanding their return.
Those nations refused, partly out of fear of China’s reaction. The State Department argued that allowing some of the Uighurs into the United States would encourage other nations, but the White House refused.
More thoughts below....
I think he definitely would shut it down, but what to do with the prisoners is going to be a big hairy mess. We can't send them to their home countries; most of them would be executed immediately. Europe doesn't want them. And can you imagine the cry if President Obama (who pals around with terrorists) would grant them asylum here?
My bet is on Obama's diplomacy. W can't negotiate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I think that between Obama and Biden, we admit our horrible mistakes, get back on the side of our allies and just ask for friggin help.