General

Obama on closing Guantanamo

Vows to shut the doors by January 2010

President Barack Obama has again pledged to close the Guantanamo Bay detention centre, saying the remaining 240 prisoners can be dealt with without increasing the risk to American citizens. He said courts, military tribunals, regular prisons, and transfers to other countries can be used to ensure that prisoners who remain a threat are not released. The Democrat controlled Senate is not so optimistic; the vast majority of senators voted to keep the detention centre open. But Obama says Guantanomo must be closed because it undercuts US moral authority and helps fuel terrorist recruitment campaigns. The President is hoping to reach a compromise that will pass in Congress before a final vote on US anti-terror legislation next month, allowing the prison to be closed by January 2010.

CBC News

The New York Times

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