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Obama, In A Blow To Closing Guantanamo, Signs Law

The Prof

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Obama, in blow to closing Guantanamo, signs law - Yahoo! News

President Barack Obama, in a setback to hopes for the quick closing of the Guantanamo Bay prison, reluctantly signed a bill on Friday barring suspects held there from being brought to the United States for trial.

Making plain he would fight to repeal language in the law obstructing civilian U.S. trials for Guantanamo terrorism suspects, Obama said he was left with no choice but to sign the defense authorization act for fiscal 2011.

"Despite my strong objection to these provisions, which my administration has consistently opposed, I have signed this act because of the importance of authorizing appropriations for, among other things, our military activities in 2011," Obama said in a statement.

The bill includes sections blocking funding for the transfer of suspects from the Guantanamo prison to the United States. It also restricts the use of funds to ship them to other countries, unless specified conditions are met.

1. Closing Gitmo---another pipe dream pretty on the campaign stump but completely separated from practical realities.

2. It never made any sense, never had a chance.

3. Slammed shut by his own House in lame duck by a margin of 341 to 48.

4. Vamoosed by voice vote thru Reid's roundhouse.

5. As utterly unworkable as ending detention, ending rendition, prosecuting agents from Darth Cheney's CIA.

6. As quixotic a quest as reaching out to the leaders of Iran.

7. As unsustainable an enterprise as building a mosque to improve community relations at Ground Zero.

8. As ineffectual as suing the people of Arizona for doing the federal government's job, irresponsibly remiss for most of 30 years.

9. Remember Hasan, the Fort Hood hitman, who shouted "Allah Akbar" while assassinating 13 American servicemembers in their soldier's readiness center and wounding 30 others?

10. Why did the Pentagon report on the tragedy work so hard to whitewash the murderer's unambigous motives?

Fort Hood Report: No Mention of Islam, Hasan Not Named - TIME

11. Why did the White House try to move KSM to a civil courtroom in downtown Manhattan before the likes of Lance Ito?

12. The president's comprehensive posture pertaining to overseas contingency operations, ie, international terrorism, is replete with pie-in-the-sky caprice.

13. Effectual chief execs, in contrast, need be grounded in reality.

14. Five hundred and forty one congressmen and women from both parties grounded the chimerical commander in chief this week.

The Prof
 
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When he was running for president Barack Obama promised over and over and over again that he would close Gitmo, stop renditions, get rid of warrantless wiretaps and the Patriot Act, and stop torture. Instead of capturing prisoners Obama is killing them at night with pilotless drones.

He hasn't kept a single one of those promises. He's a liar. He made those promises without the intent of ever keeping them. We now see Obama signing legislation that makes it impossible for him to keep his promise. People who voted for him should be ashamed.
 
And... his justice department had been fighting the idea anyway.

His term has been largely similar to Bush's 2nd.
 
I'm sad to see he probably wont be fulfilling this particular promise, but in all honesty I never expected it to be a realistic goal.

I was hoping it could be done and might pave the way to better relations with Cuba and a lifting of the ridiculous embargo.
 
Just another in the ever increasing line of broken promises by Obama.

When will it all end?




2012 I hope ;)
 
By the way, Prof, is Holder ever going to make a decision KSM? What's it been, a year now since the Manhattan mess? How long ago did we catch him?

(and very nice callback on Lance Ito. LOL)
 
President Barack Obama, in a setback to hopes for the quick closing of the Guantanamo Bay prison, reluctantly signed a bill on Friday barring suspects held there from being brought to the United States for trial.

Best news of the New Year.
 
To the untrained eye and the more gullible maybe but in reality no.

I watched Olbermann and Maddow go ape-**** when it wasn't closed the first time it was discussed after Obama was elected.
 
Who here honestly thought he was actually going to do this? Honestly

i think a lot of the people who voted for him did

after all, he promised em so many times, it was a pretty big part of his campaign

and they just loathed w-stands-for-what's-his-name for his use of the extraterritorial detention

obama doesn't know what he's doing
 
Who here honestly thought he was actually going to do this? Honestly

Would you say he acted completely on hsi own here, or that opposition pushed him to do things differently than he wanted?
 
This is not particularly surprising, but it is disappointing. I've said so many times:
I voted for change and I got Bush III.

Oh wait, wasn't Obama supposed to be a radical leftist?
 
When he was running for president Barack Obama promised over and over and over again that he would close Gitmo, stop renditions, get rid of warrantless wiretaps and the Patriot Act, and stop torture. Instead of capturing prisoners Obama is killing them at night with pilotless drones.

He hasn't kept a single one of those promises. He's a liar. He made those promises without the intent of ever keeping them. We now see Obama signing legislation that makes it impossible for him to keep his promise. People who voted for him should be ashamed.

what should obama have done here? what choice did he have? please be specific in your answer.
 
Who here honestly thought he was actually going to do this? Honestly
As I said, realistically I didnt think it would happen but it did contribute to my voting for him because I though he would at least try and he seems to have at least made attempts in that direction. For me, setting a high goal, trying for it, and failing is better than playing it safe and it shows political will.
 
what should obama have done here? what choice did he have? please be specific in your answer.

Obama could have refused to sign the legislation that renewed the Patriot Act without change. He didn't. He just signed and renewed the Patriot Act. And I am the only one who noticed apparently.

Obama could have refused to reactivate the rendition program that sends detainees to Egypt and Jordan for torture. Obama outsourced torture.

Obama is the only person who can stop the drone war against Pakistani civilians. He should stop it period. Stop the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
 
As I said, realistically I didnt think it would happen but it did contribute to my voting for him because I though he would at least try and he seems to have at least made attempts in that direction. For me, setting a high goal, trying for it, and failing is better than playing it safe and it shows political will.

Do not kid yourself. He never had the slightest intention. Just telling you what you wanted to hear. Thats what Obama do.
 
Who here honestly thought he was actually going to do this? Honestly

Bush warned Hillary and Barack not to make promises on the campaign trail they couldn't keep in office.
 
When he was running for president Barack Obama promised over and over and over again that he would close Gitmo, stop renditions, get rid of warrantless wiretaps and the Patriot Act, and stop torture. Instead of capturing prisoners Obama is killing them at night with pilotless drones.

He hasn't kept a single one of those promises. He's a liar. He made those promises without the intent of ever keeping them. We now see Obama signing legislation that makes it impossible for him to keep his promise. People who voted for him should be ashamed.

All politicians are liars. Also I am not suprised. Obama does not have the heart to fight for anything, it seems.
 
All politicians are liars. Also I am not suprised. Obama does not have the heart to fight for anything, it seems.

Hope and Change. A new kind of Washington. Transparency. Blah, blah, blah.

This is the most corrupt band of thieves ever to walk the halls in the White House.
 
what should obama have done here? what choice did he have? please be specific in your answer.

Nothing! 441 - 38 is veto proof.. What it does do though is end the honeymoon. Not that the brides were feeling all tingly anymore anyway.. I wonder if Mathews is still feeling that tingle up his leg? :)


Regardless of the president empty promise, closing Gitmo was never a reality, and he knew it. The reactions of some of the more enlightened here, lead me to believe that not everyone in the Obama house was truly cognizant of this reality.. :)


Tim-
 
Bush warned Hillary and Barack not to make promises on the campaign trail they couldn't keep in office.

Pot warning the kettle not to get too hot, huh? :lamo
 
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