Thursday, August 19, 2010

Exclusive: Obama's pledge to close down Guantanamo is 'not even close'


Commander says camp will take months to shut – and he's still waiting for the order

By Robert Verkaik, Law Editor
The Independent

"Barack Obama's pledge to shut down Guantanamo Bay will not be honoured until at least a year after the President's self-imposed deadline – and may not be completed in his first administration.

The man in charge of the seven prison camps at the US naval base in Cuba is yet to receive direct orders to begin the transfer of prisoners so he can close the detention facilities.

In his first media interview since taking up the post three months ago, Admiral Jeffrey Harbeson said that even if President Obama implemented his order today it would take him six months to complete the job, a year after the January 2010 deadline imposed by the President when he signed the executive order in 2009....."

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