9/11 Mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed With Four Other Guantanamo Bay Detainees Have Their First Court Appearance In 500 Days

 

Daily Mail: 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed SMILES and waves during his first appearance in the Guantanamo Bay court in 500 days 

 * KSM and his co-defendants were said to appear in good spirits, smiling with Mohammed waving to the gallery 

* Tuesday marked the resumption of pre-trial hearings as there is still no official trial date nearly 20 years after the attacks 

* The US has reportedly spent over $160 million detaining Khalid Sheikh Mohammed since his capture in 2003 

* The trial has been mired in legal challenges, and the defense is arguing that admissions made under torture should be thrown out 

Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, known as 'KSM,' appeared in court for the terrorist attack along with four other Guantanamo Bay detainees for the first time in more than a year on Tuesday. 

KSM and his co-defendants were said to appear in good spirits, smiling with Mohammed waving to the gallery. 

The defendants are charged with crimes including terrorism, hijacking and 2,976 counts of murder for their alleged roles planning and providing logistical support to the Sept. 11 plot. 

They could get the death penalty if convicted at the military commission, which combines elements of civilian and military law.  

Read more .... 

More News On The Resumption Of 9/11 Pre-Trial Hearings 

9/11 mastermind, 4 other Guantanamo Bay detainees seen smiling during first group court appearance in 500 days -- FOX News  

Alleged 9/11 plotters, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, appear at Guantanamo pretrial hearing -- CNN Sept. 11 mastermind smiles and waves as he returns to Gitmo court -- Washington Examiner  

Case resumes against ‘9/11 plotter’ Khalid Sheikh Mohammed -- NYPost  

Allegations of CIA torture continue to be stumbling block in 9/11 trial -- Washington Examiner

Taliban Appoint Ex-Guantanamo Bay Detainee As New Afghan Government Defence Minister

Former Guantanamo Bay detainee Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir has been appointed as the Taliban's acting defence minister after the group's takeover of Afghanistan, according to reports. Above: Zakir is believed by online sources to be the man fifth from left in this image, which shows Taliban fighters after they had stormed the presidential palace in Kabul last week. According to Arab news site Alarby , Zakir was in charge of the force who entered the palace  

Daily Mail: Taliban appoint ex-Guantanamo Bay detainee who was released in 2007 under George W Bush and went on to become Taliban military mastermind as new Afghan government defence minister 

* Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir was reportedly released from Guantanamo in 2007 

* Was originally arrested by US forces after their invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 

* Zakir was in charge of force who entered the Afghan presidential palace in Kabul 

A former Guantanamo Bay detainee has been appointed as the Taliban's acting defence minister after the group's takeover of Afghanistan, according to reports. 

Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir, who was born in 1973, was released from the notorious Cuba-based camp, which is run by the US, during George W Bush's Presidency in 2007, according to Arab news sources. 

He was originally arrested by US forces after their invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Here is an easy prediction. There will be more ex-Guantanamo detainees in the new Taliban government.

Over 200 Released Guantanamo Prisoners Have Returned To Terrorism

More than 200 former Guantanamo Bay inmates who were released have returned to terrorism following their release - with 151 still at large, according to newly declassified documents. (Stock image of a prisoner being escorted at Guantanamo Bay in 2008)  

Daily Mail: More than 200 released Guantanamo prisoners have committed acts of terrorism and killed Americans since their release and 151 of them are still on the run 

* Declassified report claims 229 former Gitmo inmates reengaged with terrorism 

* Office of National Intelligence report also showed 151 are still at large 

* President Biden has reversed Trump's executive order to keep Guantanamo open 

* Gholam Ruhani was released in 2007 and was pictured in Afghan presidential palace during Taliban takeover 

* Khairullah Khairkhwa was released in 2014 and masterminded Taliban's takeover of Kabul 

More than 200 former Guantanamo Bay inmates who were released have returned to terrorism following their release - with 151 still at large, according to newly declassified documents. 

The declassified Office of National Intelligence report, which is dated December 18, 2020, highlights that 229 former Guantanamo prisoners have reengaged in acts of terrorism and killing Americans since their release. 

Data included in the report shows that 125 former prisoners are confirmed to have reengaged in acts of terrorism since their release, while an additional 104 are currently suspected of reengaging.  

Read more ....  

Update: Hundreds of released Gitmo detainees back to killing Americans (NYPost)  

WNU Editor: Even with this declassified report, it is not going to stop the White House from moving to close Guantanamo .... The Taliban's Rise Is Complicating Biden's Efforts To Close Guantánamo's Prison (NPR).

Biden Administration Transfers It's First Guantanamo Bay Detainee

 

Daily Mail: Biden transfers his first detainee out of Guantanamo Bay: Moroccan man, 56, accused of being a Taliban fighter is sent home after 19 years in custody in sign administration will start releasing more prisoners 

* Joe Biden for the first time transferred a prisoner out of Guantanamo Bay prison 

* Abdullatif Nasser, 56, was repatriated to his home in Morocco on Monday 

* The detainee was cleared for release in July 2016, but remained in the Cuba prison throughout Donald Trump's presidency 

* Nassar was accused of being a former Taliban fighter who fought U.S. invading forces in 2001 in the Tora Bora mountains in Afghanistan 

* He was never charged with a crime 

* The release exhibits Biden's commitment to closing the prison for good 

The Biden administration on Monday transferred a detainee out of the Guantánamo Bay detention facility for the first time, sending a Moroccan man back home five years after he was recommended for discharge. 

Abdullatif Nasser, 56, was cleared for repatriation by a review board on July 11, 2016 but remained at Guantanamo for the duration of the Trump presidency.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: With this transfer there are 39 detainees left at Guantanamo Bay prison. 

More News On The Biden Administration Transfering It's First Guantanamo Bay Detainee 

Guantanamo inmate sent to home country in Biden policy shift -- AP

US transfers Guantanamo prisoner to Morocco -- AFP  

Biden admin transfers Guantanamo Bay detainee to Morocco -- UPI  

Biden administration transfers its first detainee out of Guantánamo -- The Guardian  

US transfers Guantánamo Bay detainee to home country of Morocco -- CNN  

Biden Administration Transfers Its First Detainee From Guantánamo Bay -- NYTimes

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken Says The Goal Of The Biden Administration Is To Close Guantanamo Bay Prison

Will the Biden administration close Guantanamo Bay? “We believe that it should be [closed,] that's certainly a goal, but it's something that we'll bring some focus to in the months ahead,” says Secretary of State Antony Blinken. https://t.co/UXZlapLYMX pic.twitter.com/UmfZh01gLv

— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) May 2, 2021

Daily Mail: Secretary of State Anthony Blinken says closing Guantanamo is 'certainly a goal' for Biden and joins Joint Chiefs Chairman in admitting US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan could lead to Taliban takeover 

* Secretary of State Anthony Blinken appeared on 60 Minutes on Sunday night 

* He said of the Guantanamo detention facility in Cuba: 'We believe that it should be [closed], that's certainly a goal ... in the months ahead' 

* Blinken also addressed the Biden administration's withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, which began formally on Saturday 

 * He reaffirmed Biden's commitment to supporting the Afghan government after the withdrawal while acknowledging the possibility of problems 

* Blinken said officials were watching the situation in 'a very clear-eyed way' and that they are 'prepared for every scenario' 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said President Joe Biden's administration is planning to close the infamous Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba but declined to offer a timeline in an interview aired Sunday. 

'We believe that it should be [closed], that's certainly a goal, but it's something that we'll bring some focus to in the months ahead,' Blinken told 60 Minutes host Norah O'Donnell. 

Biden has previously said he intends to shutter the prison at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base known as 'Gitmo', which currently houses 40 high profile criminals linked to the War on Terror.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Blinken Weighs In on Whether the Biden Admin Plans To Close Guantanamo Bay (IJR) Update #2: Blinken Says Biden Administration to Focus on Guantanamo in 'Months Ahead' (Sputnik)  

WNU Editor: Closing Guantanamo is not the priority for the Biden administration right now. They have trillions in new spending that they want Congress to pass, and that is where their focus will be. Once their domestic agenda has passed, they will then spend their political capital on issues like closing the Guantanamo Bay prison.

U.S. Shuts Down Camp 7 In Guantanamo

New detainees escorted through Guantanamo in 2002, when it held hundreds of prisoners. There are only 40 held there now. CREDIT:MARC SEROTA

Sydney Morning Herald: Guantanamo’s once-secret ‘black ops’ prison unit closes 

Washington: A once-secret unit within the Guantanamo Bay detention centre that had fallen into disrepair has been closed and the prisoners moved to another facility on the American base in Cuba. 

The prisoners at Camp 7 were transferred to another unit as part of what US Southern Command said in a statement on Sunday (Monday AEDT) was an effort to “increase operational efficiency and effectiveness”. 

Camp 7 opened in December 2006 for prisoners previously held in a network of clandestine CIA detention facilities, often referred to as “black sites,” where they were subjected to brutal interrogation techniques. 

The military ran it under an agreement with CIA and Southern Command said intelligence agencies were involved with the transfer.

Read more .... 

 More News On The Shutting Down Of A Once-Secret Guantanamo Prison Unit 

US shuts once-secret Guantanamo prison unit, moves prisoners -- AP 

Military Closes Failing Facility at Guantánamo Bay to Consolidate Prisoners -- NYTimes 

Once-secret Guantanamo Bay unit shuttered by US -- The Hill 

Military closes failing facility at Guantanamo Bay to consolidate prisoners -- Chicago Tribune

American Taxpayers Have Spent $161 Million On Keeping 9/11 Mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed In Prison And Alive

This February 2017 photo provided by his lawyers shows Khalid Shaikh Mohammad in Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba. (Courtesy Derek Poteet via AP) 

FOX News: American taxpayers have spent jaw-dropping amount on keeping 9/11 mastermind alive 

Guantanamo Bay has grown into what seems to be the most expensive prison on earth 

Built nearly 18 years ago to detain suspected terrorists on a remote island off Cuba, Guantanamo Bay has grown into what seems to be the most expensive prison on earth. 

The U.S. government has spent an estimated $161.5 million housing the suspected mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks – Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. And up until Saturday, Mohammed was to receive a coronavirus vaccine so that he could be tried and put to death, if convicted. 

Captured in 2003, Sheikh Mohammed confessed to being a mastermind behind some of the most prolific terror attacks in the past few decades, most notably the 9/11 attacks. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: the cost of keeping a prisoner at Guantanamo is somewhere between $9.5 and $13 million per prisoner, per year. The prison currently has 40 inmates. That's compared to $78,000 spent per inmate at a "supermax" prison in Florence, Colo., home to some of the highest-risk prisoners in the U.S.

Pentagon Orders Pause In Giving Covid-19 Vaccinations To Gitmo Detainees

The initial decision to offer the in-demand shots to the terrorists sparked widespread outrage. Some accused the Biden administration of prioritizing criminals over ordinary US citizens 

Daily News: BREAKING NEWS: Pentagon 'pauses' plan to vaccinate 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and 40 other 'Gitmo' detainees against COVID-19 following outrage that terrorists were being prioritized before most Americans 

 * On Friday, the Pentagon signed a memo approving COVID-19 vaccination efforts at Guantanamo Bay 

 * Al Qaeda terrorists including 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed are among the detainees at Gitmo 

 * The terrorists were set to receive their first dose of the in-demand vaccines as early as next Monday

 * The move caused widespread outrage, with 9/11 first responders saying the government was putting terrorists ahead of ordinary US citizens 

 * Tom Von Essen, who was city Fire Commissioner during 9/11, said: 'You can't make this up. The ridiculousness of what we get from our government' 

 * On Saturday, the Pentagon announced they were 'pausing' the plan in light of the backlash 

The Pentagon is 'pausing' a plan to have Guantanamo Bay detainees vaccinated against COVID-19 next week.

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby confirmed Saturday afternoon that the process was on hold following widespread outrage that terrorists were being given priority treatment for the in-demand vaccines. 

'No Guantanamo detainees have been vaccinated. We're pausing the plan to move forward, as we review force protection protocols. 

We remain committed to our obligations to keep our troops safe,' Kirby wrote on Twitter. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Cannot say that I am surprised. The optics are just horrible if this was to proceed. Elderly Americans, veterans, and the vulnerable being passed over for 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and 40 other 'Gitmo' detainees. You just cannot make this up. But what I would like to know is what will happen to Biden appointee Terry Adirim, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, who signed this mindless memo. My prediction is nothing. 

Update: Claims that it is because of Republican outrage that these vaccine shots have been paused is outrageous .... Vaccine Plan For Gitmo Paused After Outrage From Republicans (Forbes). This is not a partisan issue. 

 More News On The Pentagon Ordering A Pause In Giving Covid-19 Vaccinations To Gitmo Detainees 

Pentagon halts plan to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to Gitmo detainees, amid backlash -- FOX News Plan to offer Guantanamo inmates COVID-19 vaccinations paused -- ABC News/AP 

Plan to vaccinate Guantanamo Bay detainees against Covid-19 has been paused -- CNN 

Pentagon halts plan to give Covid-19 vaccination to Gitmo detainees after wave of outrage from conservatives -- RT

Biden Administration Approves Guantanamo Detainees Getting The Covid Vaccine Before Most Americans

The Pentagon will begin distributing COVID-19 vaccines to Guantanamo Bay detainees, including Al Qaeda terrorists and 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (lfar left inset) as early as next week. Clayton Trivett Jr, who is prosecuting the case against five terrorists behind the September 11 attacks, made the disclosure in a letter to defense lawyers Thursday. '[A]n official in the Pentagon has just signed a memo approving the delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine to the detainee population Guantánamo,' he wrote, according to the New York Times. The shots will be administered on a 'voluntary basis' as per Pentagon policy, which requires the recipient's consent on treatment that has not been fully approved by the FDA. The US detention camp houses 40 detainees, all of whom could receive their first shot as early as Monday if they are willing, Trivett Jr said. The vaccine rollout comes amid a shortage of doses that have hampered inoculation efforts across the US, where only 26million Americans have been vaccinated. The vaccination effort is reportedly intended to help resume legal proceedings for prisoners such as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (inset, right - bottom right) that have been delayed due to the pandemic. Another three detainees with links to Al Qaeda - Hambali (bottom second from right) Mohammed Nazir Bin Lep (far right) and Mohammed Farik Bin Amin (second from left) all members of Southeast Asia-based extremist group known as Jemaah Islamiyah, are also expected to be prioritized due to their upcoming arraignments. 

 

Daily Mail: Fury as Biden administration admits 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and 40 other 'Gitmo' terror detainees could get the COVID vaccine next week - months BEFORE most Americans 

 * Pentagon on Friday signed a memo approving vaccination efforts at Guantanamo Bay 

 * Al Qaeda terrorists including 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed are among those incarcerated in the facility 

 * Inmates are set to receive their first dose as early as Monday, 

 * The lack of vaccination has reportedly hampered legal proceedings for Sheikh Mohammed 

 * Encep Nurjaman, Mohammed Nazir Bin Lep and Mohammed Farik Bin Ami area also due to do appear in court 

The Pentagon will begin distributing COVID-19 vaccines to Guantanamo Bay detainees, including Al Qaeda terrorists and 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, as early as next week, officials have confirmed. 

Prosecutor Clayton Trivett Jr, who's leading the case against five terrorists behind the September 11 attacks, made the disclosure in a letter to defense lawyers Thursday.

'[A]n official in the Pentagon has just signed a memo approving the delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine to the detainee population Guantánamo,' he wrote, according to the New York Times. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Unbelievable. 9/11 terrorists and other Al Qaeda leaders getting the Covid vaccine before most Americans. You just cannot make this stuff up. 

On a side note. 

Since President Biden's inauguration I have received a few emails complaining that my coverage of the Biden administration has been too critical. And I will admit that yes .... with the main stream media now asleep I want to provide some coverage that is being ignored. 

And who can blame me. 

The Biden administration is providing so much crazy content that my only regret is that I do not have enough hours in the day to cover everything. This prioritizing the 9/11 terrorists over ordinary Americans is just one example among many.

 More News On Guantanamo Detainees Getting The Covid Vaccine Before Most Americans 

Pentagon to offer COVID-19 vaccines to Guantanamo Bay prisoners -- FOX News 

Guantanamo Bay prisoners to be offered coronavirus vaccines -- The Hill 

Alleged 9/11 mastermind, Gitmo detainees to start getting COVID vaccines -- NYPost 

‘9/11 mastermind’ and other Guantanamo Bay inmates to get Covid vaccine as early as NEXT WEEK ahead of most Americans -- The SUN 

Guantánamo Bay detainees will be offered Covid vaccines to move forward with war crimes hearings -- The Independent

US Navy Commander At Guantanamo Naval Base Fired

CNN: U.S. pulls top Navy official at Gitmo; inappropriate relationship alleged

WNU Editor: I have lost count on the number of officers that have been fired in the past few years.

More News On The Firing Of The US Navy Commander At Guantanamo Naval Base

Guantanamo Navy base commander relieved of duties amid probe -- Reuters
Fired Guantanamo commander was 'having an affair with a woman on the base whose husband was mysteriously found dead' -- Daily Mail
Navy commander at Guantanamo Bay fired -- USA Today
US commander at Guantanamo naval base sacked -- AFP
Guantanamo commander relieved of duty amid probe into man's death, officials say -- FOX News

Update: This is interesting .... Why the United States Controls Guantanamo Bay -- Lily Rothman, Time

Why Guantanamo Will Not Close This Year .... Or Next

Five Reasons Guantanamo Won't Close This Year -- ABC News

Obama Administration's Plan to Close Embattled Prison Stuck in Political, Legal Limbo

Sixteen months after the Obama administration ordered the closure of the U.S. military detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, more than 180 detainees remain at the base, stuck in political and legal limbo that appears likely to persist at least through the end of the year.

Read more ....

My Comment: The New York Daily News editorial board is more blunt in their assessment on Guantanamo .... their editorial is here.

What is my take .... the majority of American citizens do not want these men on the U.S. mainland, and with Republicans poised to win the House this November I expect these wishes to be respected in the next Congress.

It Seems That Nothing Has Changed At Guantanamo Since President Obama Assumed Office

Change You Can Believe In? Secrecy Still Veils Guantanamo Hearings -- McClatchy News

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVY BASE, Cuba -- The first full military commission hearings here since Barack Obama became president and pledged to deliver transparency were no more open than the court process had been under President George W. Bush, critics say.

The hearings on Canadian Omar Khadr's claim of abuse opened with a new rule book and closed with the Pentagon banishing four veteran reporters. One of the witnesses was subpoened in secret, six testified under pseudonyms and security officers closed the court to screen a video that's available on YouTube.

Read more ....

My Comment: Goodbye to the old boss .... hello to the new boss. Or as I like to put it .... the more things change, the more that they stay the same. In short .... I predicted a year and a half ago that Guantanamo will still be here, and (here is another prediction) I will not be surprised if it is still here a year and a half from now.

Guantánamo Suspects Want To Stay, Say Officials

Detainees in orange jumpsuits sit in a holding area under the surveillence of US military police at Camp X-Ray at Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Photo: AFP/GETTY

From The Telegraph:

As President Barack Obama's deadline to close Guantánamo looms, some occupants of the notorious detention centre would rather prolong their stay than be sent to maximum security prisons on the US mainland, according to camp officials.

Despite its reputation, the regime at the Pentagon facility on Cuba's southern coast offers privileges that would not be enjoyed at the federal "supermax" prison at Florence, Colorado, the likely alternative for the most dangerous al-Qaeda suspects.

Sensitive to criticism that the detention centre was not meeting international standards, the Pentagon has gradually improved living conditions at Guantánamo.

Read more ....

My Comment: If true .... and I have no reason to believe that it is not ....this gives an indication that much of the opposition towards Guantanamo has been politically based .... not on the specific treatment of detainees within the facility.

This should not be a surprise. If I was a detainee in Guantanamo, and I had a choice to stay there or go to a Supermax facility, I would stay put. Supermax is a prison with limited benefits and freedoms, and what I have seen in news reports gives me the shudders. Guantanamo is a detention center doubling as a prison, but with more liberties and freedoms than what would be available on the US mainland. My guess is that the Guantanamo detainees know this .... hence the petition to stay.

Pentagon Lawyers: First Amendment Protects Al Qaida Propaganda

Ali Hamza al-Bahlul (far left) on trial in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
Photograph: AP/Janet Hamlin

From McClatchy News:

Pentagon defense lawyers this week appealed the war crimes conviction of Osama bin Laden's media secretary at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on free speech grounds.

They argued that filmmaker Ali Hamza al Bahlul of Yemen was denied several constitutional protections at his military commission trial, which found him guilty of three war crimes on Nov. 3.

"Mr. al Bahlul is not a sympathetic defendant. He embraces an ideology that glorifies violence, justifies terrorism and opposes constitutional democracy,'' said the 50-page appeal, filed Tuesday with the U.S. Court for Military Commission Review.

Read more ....

My Comment: The appeal is not going to work .... but they will try.

Obama Faces Hurdles in Closing Guantánamo

The cases of the 229 detainees at Guantánamo Bay are still being evaluated, but officials say the job should be done by October. Chris Zuppa/St. Petersburg Times

From The New York Times:

WASHINGTON — With six months left before a White House deadline, the Obama administration is struggling with legal, political and logistical problems that are casting a cloud over President Obama’s pledge to close the detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, by January.

As of this week, lawyers reviewing each detainee’s case have completed the initial sorting process for only about half the total Guantánamo population of 229 men, though officials said that by October they expected to complete the initial evaluations, determining who could be transferred to other countries, prosecuted or detained without charges.

Read more ....

My Comment: 6 months to go before the closing of Guantanamo .... and they still do not know what needs to be done. This has now become a predictable pattern for this administration .... confusion and a lack of follow through on decisions made.

I still expect Guantanamo will be closed .... but the process to close it will be messy with detainees being dumped everywhere.

New Legal Battle In Guantanamo

Omar Khadr is shown in a courtroom sketch in
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on Thursday, May 8, 2008. CTV

From Yahoo News/AP:

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba – A session of the Guantanamo war crimes court that began Sunday will likely show the difficulties President Barack Obama faces in changing the system and closing the prison by January.

The case in question, of a Canadian charged with killing an American soldier, is stalled by infighting among lawyers.

Other defendants have even more complex legal issues, and officials say the U.S. may have to choose between delaying Guantanamo's closure or quickly finding somewhere else to hold the trials.

Read more ....

My Comment: Government (as a rule) works at super slow speed. For impending Guantanamo trials .... government works at super duper slow speed.

This entire legal process has now gone astray. What vital intelligence information that could have been gleamed from these captives is now no more .... and as a result, the entire process should move forward .... we owe this to the families of 9/11.

But of course we are not moving forward, and thanks to President Obama's declaration in January on his intent to close Guantanamo, this entire process is now up in the air.

Guantanamo And Its Inmates -- The Debate On What To Do

In this photo taken Wednesday, May 13, 2009 and reviewed by the U.S. military, the sun rises over the Guantanamo detention facility at dawn, at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base, Cuba. President Barack Obama says he is restarting U.S. military tribunals for the small number of terrorist suspects among all the detainees held at Guantanamo, though with several new legal protections for defendants. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

Obama: 50 Gitmo Detainees Cleared For Transfer -- Yahoo News/AP

WASHINGTON – Forty-eight terror suspects currently held at Guantanamo Bay are waiting to be released to other nations, the Obama administration said Thursday.

The detainees are among 50 whose cases have already been reviewed, President Barack Obama said Thursday, pointing to efforts to empty the prison without bringing all its inmates to the United States.

Two other detainees have been released since January, to Britain and France, officials said.

Read more ....

More News On Guantanamo, Terrorist Detainees, And Anti-Terrorism Techniques

Obama: Some Guantanamo prisoners to go to U.S. -- Reuters
Obama defiant on Guantanamo closure, slams Bush 'mess' -- Yahoo News/AFP
Obama, Cheney offer competing views on national security -- CNN
President Obama: U.S. 'went off course' fighting terror -- Politico
Obama and Cheney battle it out -- Yahoo News/Politico
Obama backs closing Gitmo, while Cheney defends it -- Yahoo News/AP
The bombshell behind the Gitmo speeches -- Foreign Policy Blog
After the duel -- Foreign Policy Blog
Reactions to Obama's speech -- AP

Obama Refuses To Retreat On Closing Guantanamo

Image AP

From Yahoo News/AP:

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is staunchly defending his decision to close the Guantanamo prison facility, calling it "a mess," and saying he won't do anything to endanger the American people.

In fact, Obama said the very existence of the Cuban prison facility compromised U.S. national security and served as a recruiting point for the al-Qaida network.

He argued in a speech Thursday that roughly 500 detainees already had been released by the Bush administration and said operating the Guantanamo facility "set back the moral authority that is America's strongest currency in the world." The president spoke to an audience of military lawyers in a cavernous hall of the National Archives, standing before a display of the Constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence.

Read more ....

My Comment: He is right, and 90 Senators, the FBI, the CIA, intelligence officers, most of our European allies, the previous administration, and the majority of U.S. citizens .... they are all wrong.

Obama's Gitmo Mess -- A Commentary

'Guantanamo will be closed no later than one year from now,' President Barack Obama said Thursday. Photograph by: Sheldon Alberts, Canwest News Service

From The Wall Street Journal:

So where is the Pentagon going to send the Yeminis?

On his second day in office, President Obama ordered the Pentagon to mothball Guantanamo within one year, purportedly to reclaim the "moral high ground." That earned applause from the anti-antiterror squadrons, yet it is now causing all kinds of practical and political problems in what used to be known as the war on terror.

This mess grew even more chaotic this week, when Democrats refused the Administration's $50 million budget request to transfer some of the remaining 241 Gitmo detainees to a prison likely to be somewhere in the U.S. and perhaps to a new one built with taxpayer dollars. "What do we do with the 50 to 100 -- probably in that ballpark -- who we cannot release and cannot try?" Defense Secretary Robert Gates recently asked Congress.

Read more ....

U.S. May Revive Guantánamo Military Courts

The U.S. flag flies over the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay.

From The New York Times:

The Obama administration is moving toward reviving the military commission system for prosecuting Guantánamo detainees, which was a target of critics during the Bush administration, including Mr. Obama himself.

Officials said the first public moves could come as soon as next week, perhaps in filings to military judges at the United States naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, outlining an administration plan to amend the Bush administration’s system to provide more legal protections for terrorism suspects.

Continuing the military commissions in any form would probably prompt sharp criticism from human rights groups as well as some of Mr. Obama’s political allies because the troubled system became an emblem of the effort to use Guantánamo to avoid the American legal system.

Read more ....

My Comment: This is a complete reversal by the White House on what they campaigned on, what their allies demanded, and what they have been saying since they were elected.