Gitmo Transfer by Matthew Homsher 9th

Summary: The Pentagon is planning to transfer Guantanamo Bay detainees to two other countries that have agreed to take them. There are currently 91 detainees in Guantanamo Bay and most have been held without a trial for nearly a decade. There is one detainee from Yemen who is currently on a hunger strike and has lost nearly half of his body weight. The transfers are part of President Obama’s latest attempt to close the U.S. military facility in Guantanamo Bay. When he proposed the idea last month to have Gitmo closed outright, it was quickly blocked by the republican congress. Obama is also considering an Executive Action to bypass the Republican congress and have the detainees sent to the mainland.

Synopsis: It’s great that President Obama is making good on his promise to close Guantanamo Bay. It would definitely improve relations between the United States and Cuba. The idea that Congress dismissed the idea so quickly shows how deeply the bipartisan divide runs in our government.  However, it is also understandable that the idea of having confirmed terrorists shipped to the mainland does not sound appealing. It would be preferable to build another maximum security prison away from the mainland and have the detainees shipped there instead of spreading them out over the federal prisons of the United States. That way, at least, all the bad apples are kept in one basket.

For more information, click on the link below:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/mar/31/pentagon-moves-to-transfer-a-dozen-more-gitmo-deta/