Obama May Bring Back Military Terror Courts

(NEWSER) - Standing in front of the Constitution, President Obama today delivered a watershed speech on terrorism, arguing that President Bush’s approach to war was, “quite simply, a mess.” He outlined his plan to clean up, saying he’ll try Guantanamo detainees in both federal court and military commissions and reiterating his intention to close the prison camp, MSNBC reports. Detainees who can’t be tried will be held indefinitely, within a “legitimate legal framework.” More»

Move an admission that detention center is here to stay

(NEWSER) - President Obama has given Robert Gates the go-ahead to initiate new military commissions against Guantanamo detainees—something Obama originally banned on the first day of his presidency. Within weeks one or more detainees may face new charges—the Justice Department has already designated some prisoners for military tribunal, including suspected US Cole attack mastermind Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the New York Times reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama and Dick Cheney conspired to perpetuate the same myth yesterday, writes David Brooks of the New York Times. In their telling, we have seen a sharp break between Bush-Cheney terror policies and Obama-Biden ones. “This is a completely bogus distortion of history.” In reality, the policies Cheney’s defending were in place for maybe three years after 9/11. After that, over Cheney's objections, Bush cleaned up his act. More»

(NEWSER) - In what’s becoming a much-hyped political showdown, Barack Obama and Dick Cheney will deliver back-to-back speeches on national security this morning, CNN reports. Obama’s 10am speech will lay out a framework for closing Guantanamo Bay, offering a high-minded defense of his decisions so far regarding it and its detainees. He'll argue that America "lost its way" in fighting terrorism, and that Guantanamo has made us less safe. More»

Left feeling spurned by new president's policies

(NEWSER) - Sorry, ladies: Hell has no fury like a political base scorned, and tensions are simmering among liberals, who feel spurned by President Obama, Josh Gerstein writes for Politico. With his reversals on military tribunals and releasing photos of abused detainees, and reluctance to tackle gay rights and immigration reform, some are accusing Obama of turning into—gasp!—George W. Bush. More»