Too late for Obama to close Guantanamo prison: Analyst
A letter by Democratic lawmakers urging outgoing President Barack Obama to close the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is "too little too late,” says an analyst in New York.
Joe Lauria, an author and independent journalist made the remarks on Thursday, while discussing a letter by Democratic lawmakers to Obama, where they called for the closure of the controversial detention facility.
Obama has failed to keep his promise during the 2008 presidential election campaign to close the prison, citing its damage to the US reputation abroad, but has set free some of the inmates and relocated some others.
On the 15th anniversary of the opening of the prison, the 40 Democratic signatories from the Congressional Progressive Caucus said in the letter that they were alarmed by “torture’s resurgence” under the incoming presidency of Donald Trump.
While campaigning for the 2016 presidential election, Trump, a New York billionaire and former reality TV start, embraced Guantánamo and promised to bring back water-boarding, one of the so-called enhanced interrogation techniques used on suspects of the US alleged war on terror after the 9/11 attacks.
Describing the letter as “too little too late,” Lauria said the lawmakers had to wrote the letter eight years ago not eight days before the end of Obama’s tenure.
“So, suddenly they discovered that Guantanamo needs to be closed, it is really rich that they suddenly have a problem with that because they think that somehow Trump will make it worse,” he added.
Lauria referred to Trump’s pledges of reinstating torture and said there is indeed a real chance that the situation at Gitmo could turn for the worse under Trump.
However, he argued that Democrats had a lot more to worry about during Obama’s eight years in the White House and yet did not take any actions.
“Why not tell Obama earlier to end drone warfare, mass surveillance, to undo his National Defense Authorization Act … and the Pentagon program giving weapons to local police departments,” he asked. “There is many many things that Trump will inherit from Obama, that Obama created, that these Democrats are not calling for an end to.”
Biden set to lose re-election over his genocidal policy in Gaza: US journalist
Frightful Biden-Trump rematch planned for November: Analyst
US Empire controlling people's minds to maintain hegemony: Scholar
VIDEO | Paris march in support of Palestine women
VIDEO | ICC issues arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister, ousted regime war minister
120 Palestinians perish as Israeli war machine keeps ravaging Gaza
VIDEO | Struggles of Palestinian women amidst war, displacement
VIDEO | Hezbollah rains attack drones down on elite Israeli brigade
VIDEO | US biased mediation fails
Leader: All captains of criminal, Zionist, terrorist gang must be prosecuted
Iran further raises its oil prices for Chinese buyers: Report
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
