Guantanamo Detention Facility - Why is it Still There
Abstract
On 22 Jan 2009, President Obama signed Executive Order 13492, The Review and Disposition of Individuals Detained at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and Closure of Detention Facilities. This order specifically targeted the closure and disestablishment of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, and directed the release of, or the relocation of the detained enemy combatants presently being held there to some other form of holding/detention facility, either domestically or abroad. Nevertheless, almost four years later, the facility is still in operation, with no prospect of closure in the immediate future. The purpose of this paper is to identify some the legal, political and logistical impediments that have emerged since the initial establishment of the facility, and their impact upon the administration s efforts to rid itself of this legacy headache. In discussing these issues, I will also address some of the consequences that have arisen from the initial detention policy over the last ten years those of divisive politics, fiscal concerns, domestic and international condemnation of the U.S., and the lost war of strategic communications.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 22, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA563846
Entities
People
- Steven P. Gardiner
Organizations
- United States Army War College