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Report on Closing Gitmo Delayed 6 Months

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 21, 2009 5:50 AM CDT

(Newser) – President Obama's task forces on the detention and interrogation of terror suspects will miss today's deadline for reporting their findings, the Washington Post reports. The review on detention policy has been given a 6-month extension, raising fears that the Guantanamo Bay prison may not be closed in January next year as promised. The task force on interrogation of future detainees has been given another two months.

Another task force reviewing the cases of the 229 detainees still at Guantanamo is due in October. Administration officials insist that although major issues remain unresolved, they are still on track to close Guantanamo Bay on schedule. "These are hard, complicated, consequential decisions," said one White House official. "What we are trying to do is to make sure that we make the right decisions."

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

An American flag appears through a broken window in an airplane hangar used for media activities at Camp Justice at Guantanamo Bay US Naval Base. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, Pool)

Some of the 229 detainees still at Guantanamo exercise inside the yard at the center's Camp 4 detention facility. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley )

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These are issues, frankly, that could have been and should have been wrestled with over the course of the last seven years. Regrettably, they weren’t. - A senior Obama administration official

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 10 comments

Reader65069154

Jul 21, 2009 12:45 PM CDT

Looks like BHO goes bad on another campaign promise. Guess the world is more complicated as the president than as a community organizer.

northeast

Jul 21, 2009 12:40 PM CDT

Hey BTW, we're still torturing people at Bagram. Just thought you guys should know.

AdaptAndOvercome

Jul 21, 2009 11:37 AM CDT

Wow the government delaying a report! Under anyone else, this would not be a big thing. Under Obama..the media and the right wing nut jobs will have a field day. Who cares...better to do it slow and do it right or let them go...ex. Bush and then find them involved in another terror plot against our own soldiers. (See this story worked for the Bush admin, when they were making a case for keeping them there, let's see if it works now).

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Politics • US • World

War on Terror • Guantanamo Bay • interrogation • terror suspects • detainees • President Obama • indefinite detention

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