Al Jazeera: Obama vows to close Guantanamo

[dailykoff]

Obama vows to close Guantanamo
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
03:27 Mecca time


Obama, left, says he wants to 'stamp out al-Qaeda' once he takes office

Barack Obama, the US president-elect, has promised to shut down the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, as human rights lawyers warn such a move would face a number of legal difficulties.

Obama told the CBS programme 60 Minutes on Sunday: "I have said repeatedly that I intend to close Guantanamo, and I will follow through on that.

"I have said repeatedly that America doesn't torture.

"And I'm going to make sure that we don't torture. Those are part and parcel of an effort to regain America's moral stature in the world."

Obama had originally promised to shut the US prison in Cuba while on the campaign trail, but his comments on Sunday were the first confirmation of his intentions since the November 4 election.

He did not, however, elaborate on where the Guantanamo detainees would be sent or whether they would be put on trial, or released.

Obama's comments come as he prepares later on Monday to meet John McCain - his former Republican presidential rival - for their first meeting since the US elections, to discuss possible bipartisan action on political issues.

{snip}

The US president-elect, in a television interview aired on Sunday, also pledged to withdraw troops from Iraq as part of rebuilding "America's moral stature".

link: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/11/20081117102528921928.html

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Well, that's a spark of joy on an otherwise dismal news day. Props to Big O for showing some leadership. Hope he means what he says. :thumbsup: