Obama Says Gitmo Should Be Closed
n a press conference on the 100th day of his second term (though his administration dismissed the symbolic nature of the date), President Obama said he would work with Congress to stop the detention of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay, also answering questions on his “red line” in Syria, the sequester and endless congressional gridlock.
On Guantánamo
Facing questions about the ongoing hunger strike at Guantánamo, Obama said he was “not surprised there are problems,” saying that he continues to believe the U.S. should prioritize closing Guantánamo, as it is “not necessary to keep America safe, is expensive, hurts our relationships with allies and is a recruitment tool for extremists.”
Obama said he planned to “go back to” his efforts in 2008 to close Guantánamo, saying: “I am going to reengage with Congress to make the case that this is not in the best interest of the American people,” calling the detention facility and the indefinite detention of people who have not been tried or charged “contrary to who we are, contrary to our interests, and it needs to stop.”