Washington: As per President of United States- Barack Obama, he has sent a plant for closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, to Congress. The said statements were released on Yesterday, i.e. Tuesday, 23rd February. He disclosed this decision, saying that it was time to shutter a facility that betrayed United Nations interests and values.
Moreover, President- Obama said, that the same is about closing a chapter in history and reflecting the lesions which were learned since 9/11. Also, as per his statements, the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay does not advance the national security, and the same has been clear for many years, it undermines it. Moreover, it is a counterproductive to US’s fight against the terrorists, as they use it as propaganda, he said.
It was also seen from the long time that the President- Obama has took the closing of the facility located on US territory in Cuba at the top in his list of priorities. Moreover, he wants to bring between 30 and 60 of its 91 prisoners to soil of United States, who will be took in the prisons in the Colorado, South Carolina and Kansas and remaining to be sent to the third- party countries. As the Congress currently prohibits, by legislation, the administration from transferring such inmates to the United States, for trial or incarceration, it has to sight off on the plan. However, it is also seen that the plan is opposing by the Republican lawmakers, irrespective of the fact that the President George W. Bush has supported it. Moreover, Senator- John McCain who ran against plan of Obama, called it ‘vague’. Also, it is termed ‘dangerous’ by the Senator- Marco Rubio.
The Guantanamo’s closure plan has been the very long running issue for Obama, and he pushed it since taking office, however, the efforts initiated by him have often been thwarted by the Republican lawmakers. As per Obama, he said the said plan deserves fair hearing, even in an election year. The plan will also cite the possibility of sending some prisoners overseas for prosecution and trial, according to one US official.
Adv. Faim Khalilkhan Pathan