Obama Will Order Gitmo Shutdown in First Week

By Steve Benen, Washington Monthly
Posted on January 12, 2009, Printed on May 26, 2012
http://www.alternet.org/story/119233/obama_will_order_gitmo_shutdown_in_first_week

On ABC News over the weekend, Barack Obama sounded an encouraging note with George Stephanopoulos on a certain notorious detention facility: "We are going to close Guantanamo and we are going to make sure that the procedures we set up are ones that abide by our constitution. That is not only the right thing to do but it actually has to be part of our broader national security strategy because we will send a message to the world that we are serious about our values."

Obama hedged, however, when asked when this might happen. Just how quickly will Obama move on closing Guantanamo? Apparently, we can expect action very soon.

Advisers to President-elect Barack Obama say one of his first duties in office will be to order the closing of the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay. That executive order is expected during Obama's first week on the job -- and possibly on his first day, according to two transition team advisers. Both spoke Monday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Now, this is far from straightforward. Even if Obama signed the order on Jan. 20, this isn't a situation in which the facility at Guantanamo would shut its doors for good on Jan. 21.

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