Guantanamo Bay: To Close or Not to Close? That’s Not the Question.

President Barack Obama wants to close Guantanamo, stop torture, and review the trials of the prisoners therein, all within one year (BBC)[1]. I applaud Mr. Obama’s decision since, as Jennifer Vanklausen says, the Constitution guarantees the right of due process of law (which most of the Guantanamo detainees have been denied). However, I think the suddenness of the decision is ill-advised. CNN points out that “About 250 prisoners, many of them suspected terrorists, remain in the prison.”[2] So, then, in one year, president Obama wants to review 250 trials and release 250 suspected terrorists upon the American public. A lot of the prisoners, about two-thirds, are already pleading for release and charging the government with wrongful imprisonment, according to CNN. I want justice for the prisoners, but I don’t trust them to be safely released into the U. S. A lot of people agree with me. In fact, 46% of voters polled oppose the closing, while only 36% approve. As for releasing the inmates into the United States, 75% are against that notion (Rasmussen Reports).[3] Other countries are also reluctant to accept terror suspects into their societies (Delahunt and Willett)[4]. So I think that President Obama’s decision to close Guantanamo prison was a good and just one, but a rash one. He didn’t understand how much would be involved.
[1] BBC. “Obama Orders Guantanamo Closure.” NEWS. 22 January 2009. 8 April 2009. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7845585.stm>
[2] Bill Mears. “Chinese Muslim detainees take case to Supreme Court.” CNN.com/US. 6 April 2009. 8 April 2009. <http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/06/scotus.gitmo/>
[3] Rasmussen Reports. “75% Oppose Release of Guantanamo Inmates in the United States.” Rasmussen Reports. 2009. 8 April 2009. <http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics2/75_oppose_release_of_guantanamo_inmates_in_the_united_states>
[4] Delahunt, Bill and Sabin Willett. “Innocent Detainees Need A Home.” Boston Globe, Lexis Nexis. 2 April 2009. 8 April 2009.