To: President Donald Trump
Yes, President Obama: Time to Close Guantanamo
President Obama, shut Guantanamo and end indefinite detention prior to leaving office. It's time to rid our nation of this festering and shameful legacy of Bush-era torture and endless detention.
Why is this important?
President Obama and Pentagon officials have released a blueprint to close the Guantanamo detention facility by the end of the president's last year in office.
The current plan relies on the cooperation of Senate Republicans, yet the president hasn't ruled out using his executive authority to bypass an unwilling Congress.
The president is committed to taking Guantanamo “off the plate of the next president.” But he's facing an uphill battle and time is running out. The president has less than one year to meet his human rights obligations by closing Guantanamo and charging and trying—or else releasing—all detainees.
The current plan relies on the cooperation of Senate Republicans, yet the president hasn't ruled out using his executive authority to bypass an unwilling Congress.
The president is committed to taking Guantanamo “off the plate of the next president.” But he's facing an uphill battle and time is running out. The president has less than one year to meet his human rights obligations by closing Guantanamo and charging and trying—or else releasing—all detainees.