New Campaign Launches to Close Guantanamo

By Jeralyn, Section Terror Detainees
Posted on Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 03:01:20 PM EST
Tags: Guantanamo (all tags)

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This ad to close Guantanamo will air on cable tv channels for a week beginning tomorrow. From the press release (received by e-mail, no link)

The campaign, called the National Campaign to Close Guantanamo, was launched with a press call with Retired Generals Bob Gard and John Johns, VoteVets.org Chairman Jon Soltz and former US Congressman and Director of the National Campaign to Close Guantanamo Tom Andrews. The campaign will support President Obama’s call to close the prison and urge Congress to reject the scare tactics of Dick Cheney, and the far right, and shut down the Guantanamo.

[More...]

Former Vice President Dick Cheney, principal architect of the torture policy of which Guantanamo has become an international symbol, and his daughter Liz, have led a concerted right-wing smear campaign, using many of the same scare tactics that the former Vice President used to persuade Americans of the need to invade Iraq, are now attempting to stampede Members of Congress and the American public into keeping Guantanamo open.

One of the retired generals associated with the campaign says:

“As someone who has worn a military uniform and taken an oath to defend this country, I take nothing more seriously than making sure our nation is safe,” said Retired General Robert Gard. “I can tell you that keeping Guantanamo open does not make our nation any more safe, in fact everyday it is open it makes our country less safe. It is time for Congress to stop playing politics and close Guantanamo.”

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New Campaign Launches to Close Guantanamo | 13 comments (13 topical)

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A campaign promise (5.00 / 2) (#1)
by Fabian on Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 03:19:28 PM EST

is worth what exactly?

I'm glad that people are holding Obama's and Congress' feet to the fire, but it highlights what Obama does willingly and enthusiastically and what he does only with reluctance and under pressure.

: Not To Mention (5.00 / 3) (#4)
by The Maven on Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 03:51:03 PM EST

that in the grand scheme of things, all Obama is really proposing to do is make Bagram the "new" Guantanamo, anyway. Essentially the same detention policies we all deplored under Bush, just not right in our backyard. And I'm not sure whether the Kiyemba case just taken up by the Supreme Court today would have any immediate effect, since that deals with the disposition of Gitmo detainees who successfully challenged their status in light of the 2008 ruling in Boumediene.
Meet the new prison, same as the old one.

Why do issues groups act like abused spouses? (5.00 / 2) (#3)
by Pacific John on Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 03:40:02 PM EST

Why is it never the fault of the person who made the promise in the first place?

It's absurd that so many liberals treat the president, as Bill Maher said, like their boyfriend... but this sort of messaging is also very inefficient. People know gibberish when they see it, and ignore it.

An excellent counter-example is this ad by Mike Farrell on single payer.

Even in the age of Obama, people respond to clarity and principle.

Are they trying to claim (none / 0) (#2)
by Inspector Gadget on Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 03:21:50 PM EST

that the majority Democratic congress is standing in Obama's way to get this prison closed? I'm questioning exactly who the group is that is sponsoring this.

: Do not know much about the others, (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by KeysDan on Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 04:12:03 PM EST

but Jon Soltz seems to be a person of integrity. However, it seems insane that we need a campaign to help the president and commander-in-chief overcome the urgings of Dick Cheney and those of his ilk. After all, who is running this asylum anyhow.

Because Bagram is never a sure thing (none / 0) (#6)
by Militarytracy on Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 04:14:24 PM EST

Particularly without a larger footprint in Afghanistan....and even then Afghanistan isn't our territory, but I have come to understand that they aren't ever going to close Gitmo now.

Because Bagram is never a sure thing (none / 0) (#7)
by Militarytracy on Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 04:14:24 PM EST

There is always... (none / 0) (#8)
by kdog on Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 05:18:16 PM EST

Standish if all else fails, there is no doubt we will continue to indefinitely detain...through hell or high water, by hook or by crook.


: True (none / 0) (#13)
by Militarytracy on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 02:15:15 PM EST

I believe that most administrations will attempt to keep such prisoners away from the general population to discourage attacks among our general population, and also to discourage the media from being able to create a martyresque dynamic. It sounded so wonderful though when he said it, Gitmo held how many completely innocent people under Bush? I think we can put this one in the broken campaign promises bucket.

Step in the right direction on Gitmo? (none / 0) (#9)
by MO Blue on Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 05:39:13 PM EST

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama won a modest victory Tuesday in his continuing effort to close the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba, allowing the government to continue to transfer detainees at the facility to the U.S. to be prosecuted.
The plan to permit terrorist suspects held at the facility to be shipped to U.S. soil to face trial was part of a larger $44.1 billion budget bill for the Homeland Security Department that passed the Senate by a 79-19 vote.
The measure already passed by the House now goes to Obama for his signature. The Guantanamo provision generally tracks restrictions already in place that block release of detainees in the U.S., but permits them to be tried here. AP

Pure Farce (none / 0) (#10)
by kidneystones on Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 06:56:55 PM EST

The closing of Gitmo like the number of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq rests entirely in the President's hands. Dick Cheney left office long ago and lost his influence over US policy even deeper into the past.

There are real problems associated with targeted assassinations, rendition, and holding 'enemies' without due process. These problems are the products of Dem policies.

Bush placed US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Dems refuse to withdraw them. Gitmo should have been closed before any press release on the topic. The administration wants credit for work not yet done.

In that sense, it's easy to understand why he got the peace prize. It isn't going to be easy to close Gitmo. Getting US troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan will be even harder. And avoiding a full-blown shooting war with Iran now looks almost impossible, because sanctions clearly aren't in the cards.

No matter the nobility or sincerity of those involved in the 'end war now' movement, there are plenty of folks who believe violence is the solution. As long as we live in that kind of world we're going to need far more imagination and determination than we're seeing from the 'blame Cheney and Bush' gang.

another winning move (none / 0) (#11)
by diogenes on Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 08:55:04 PM EST

I'm sure that closing GITMO will play real well in Peoria.

The presidency and (none / 0) (#12)
by Wile ECoyote on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 08:46:52 AM EST

entire Democrat controlled congress running scared of Cheney and his daughter. Right. We are in excellent hands. I cannot wait for the mid term elections.