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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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Dems Won't Fund Gitmo Closing

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(AP) – President Obama's allies in the Senate will not provide funds to close the Guantanamo Bay prison by January, a top Democratic official said today. With debate looming on Obama's spending request to cover military and diplomatic operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the official says Democrats will deny the Pentagon and Justice Department $80 million to relocate Guantanamo's 240 detainees.

The administration has yet to develop a plan for what to do with the detainees, and Obama's promise to close the facility is facing strong GOP opposition. It appears to be a tactical retreat. Once the administration develops a plan to close the facility, congressional Democrats are likely to revisit the topic, provided they are satisfied there are adequate safeguards. The Pentagon said it still expects the prison at Guantanamo Bay to be closed by January 2010 as Obama has ordered. 

Guantanamo detainees pray before dawn near a fence of razor-wire inside the exercise yard at Camp 4 detention facility.
Guantanamo detainees pray before dawn near a fence of razor-wire inside the exercise yard at Camp 4 detention facility.   (AP Photo)
President Obama.
President Obama.   (AP Photo)
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7 comments
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Timinator2K
May 19, 09 12:50 PM CDT
However, they ARE for bailing them out and giving them $2 Billion for their time and trouble...and repatriating them back to their comrades-in-arms on the promise that they will be good for the rest of their lives. Reply
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+1
kokuaguy
May 19, 09 1:38 PM CDT
Hey, Timie, Infantile + incessant = BORING !!!!!! The consequences unleashed when the Bush Administration threw open Pandora's box by establishing GITMO will take years to deal with. Addressing its status and planning its abolishment is an absurdity in the context of a sound bite limited presidential campaign. Romney's call to double Gitmo was never taken seriously, nor should any Obama supporter have expected him to padlock it and adjudicate it occupants in the short term. The abuses and torture have ended and the idea of America maintaining such an institution has been thoroughly discredited. Reply
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+2
TerrifiedCitizen
May 19, 09 2:23 PM CDT
Congress could always do what Arnold is doing... simply by a bus ticket and send your sick, elderly and other undesirables away. Let another state or nation clean up after 'Operation Shanghai'. Reply
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RobN
May 19, 09 3:18 PM CDT
This exact same article, word for word, was printed on Newser last month. Seems odd. I'll say what I said then, it doesn't seem like too much to ask that you get a plan together before asking for the money to fund it. At which point they will fund it. Not a big deal really. Reply
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+3
justme
May 19, 09 6:41 PM CDT
Close Gitmo but don't send anybody to my backyard (read state, country, region etc). Still waiting for Obama to get his European compatriots to step up. Blame Bush all you want. Obama has already realized that many of these detainees are too dangerous to do anything with but detain as long as possible with or without a trial. Reply
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