Shocker: Obama Is Ok With Guantanamo Bay Style Detention As Long As Its Not At Guantanamo Bay
I’ve long said that Obama’s promise to close down Guantanamo Bay would come back to bite him. If he doesn’t close it down he risks ticking off his left-wing, “blame America first” base. If he does close it in the fashion his base wants him to, he risks releasing hundreds of dangerous terrorists back in the world where they can take up their jihad against America once again.
His solution? It’s not entirely clear what he’s going to do with regard to Guantanamo Bay, but it is interesting to see that Obama doesn’t seem to care as much about the terror detainees at Bagram in Afghanistan than he does about the much higher-profile detainees at Guantanamo. Even though their status under the law is basically the same. Which sets up a situation where Obama could transfer the Gitmo detainees from Cuba to Afghanistan where their detention would be essentially the same.
Civil liberties advocates blasted the Bush administration for subjecting Guantanamo Bay captives to indefinite detention and for denying them access to federal courts. The outrage over Guantanamo Bay among President Obama’s liberal base and among the populations of certain United States allies (particularly in Europe) probably explains why President Obama’s first set of executive orders included a provision directing the closure of the controversial detention facility.
The Obama administration, however, has taken the position that Supreme Court’s reasoning in Boumediene does not confer habeas rights to Bagram detainees. This is the same argument that the Bush administration made. This logic, however, could support the capture and transfer of individuals to Bagram, where they could face prolonged and indefinite detention and denial of access to United States courts. Bagram could become the functional equivalent of Guantanamo Bay.
Just so we’re clear, Obama is ok with Guantanamo Bay-style detention. As long as it isn’t happening at Guantanamo Bay where it’s terribly inconvenient for him politically.
What this indicates is that, once again, Obama cares more about style and appearances than substance. I’ve always felt that the arbitrary shut down of Gitmo would be a mistake. If Obama shut down the detention facility and released the detainees I think he’d end up with the blood of those detainees’ eventual victims on his hands. But at least I could respect Obama for making a decision based on his principles.
What he’s doing now, which is hiding behind convoluted legal definitions and political maneuvering, is beyond contempt.
