Bernie Sanders attacked Hillary Clinton’s record on the detention center at Guantanamo Bay on Tuesday, just after President Barack Obama delivered his blueprint for the controversial military prison’s closure.
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“I am encouraged to see that the President is sending Congress a plan to shut down the Guantanamo Bay prison”. He added that not only Republicans but also many in Obama’s own Democratic Party, opposed detainee transfers to USA soil.
Amnesty International called the plan a step in the right direction but said that the plan did not fully address what would happen to detainees who are being detained without trial.
“What he is now proposing to do is in direct contradiction to the will of the American people”, said Sen.
“The president has provided a practicable plan for closing the facility”, Rep. Adam SmithAdam SmithDems calls for Congress to consider Obama’s Gitmo plan Overnight Defense: Pentagon to present Gitmo plan Key House Dem open to more defense spending MORE (D-Wash.), ranking member of the House Armed Services, said in a written statement. The U.S. facilities would cost between $265 million and $305 million to operate each year, according to the proposal.
Her campaign also pointed to her efforts to help close the facility while serving as Obama’s secretary of state.
The White House has not ruled out the possibility that the president may again attempt to close the prison through executive action – a move that would directly challenge Congress’ authority.
Blunt says moving detainees accused of violent extremist acts would put Americans at risk.
It is something the president has promised he would do since he first campaigned for the highest office in the land.
“I think the president is right”, Sanders said during the CNN forum Tuesday night.
Opponents, however, say that changing the detention center’s ZIP code won’t solve those problems.
Obama’s proposal faced criticism even from those who endorse closing the detention center. The camp has always been widely criticized by foreign governments and human rights organizations.
“It has been over a decade since the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay came to light and spiraled into an worldwide embarrassment”.
A small number – those deemed too risky to release but too hard to prosecute – would be held in the United States.
Obama has long argued that many Guantanamo prisoners should be transferred overseas and some should be tried by military courts.
“Most military, intelligence and law enforcement experts believe that on balance Guantanamo harms, rather than helps, our national security”, Wala said. “Congress must now work with the administration in good faith to effectuate closure”.
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Information for this article was contributed by Lolita C. Baldor, Kathleen Hennessey, Deb Riechmann and Donna Cassata of The Associated Press; by Charlie Savage and Julie Hirschfeld Davis of The New York Times; by Karoun Demirjian, Anne Gearan and John Wagner of The Washington Post; and by staff members of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
