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January 13, 2009
Posted: 02:33 PM ET
NEW YORK — There is good news and bad news on Guantanamo Bay. The good news is this: On his first full day in office, President Barack Obama will issue an executive order to close the detention center at Gitmo. The bad news: It won’t happen overnight. ![]() Guantanamo Bay Naval Base In fact, it could take months. It may even take a year to empty the camp of prisoners. After all, there are 248 men still housed at the prison, which opened seven years ago and has been a source of controversy ever since. And, with the now-realistic assessment of how long closure could take, there is already criticism from some quarters, which is understandable. Anyone who cares about human rights and America’s moral standing in the world wants the closing of the detention center to be one of Barack Obama’s top priorities. But take heart, it will be. For while closing Gitmo for good will certainly be more difficult than most people realize, with his executive order President Obama will send a very clear message: He will signal a break with the Bush Administration on some of its most misguided policies. This order by our new chief executive will be a first step back in the right direction. -Jami Floyd, In Session anchor Filed under: Jami Floyd Last Word |
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