Close Gitmo Now!

October 20, 2009  |  Posted by Tom Andrews

On January 22^nd this year, President Obama signed an Executive Order ordering the closure of the prison at Guantamo within a year. It was a declaration to the world that the use of torture would no longer have a place in the United States of America. But it was also an appropriate response and reversal of the failed Bush/Cheney policies -- policies that left America isolated from the world, and less safe by virtue of the recruitment poster that Guantanamo had become for our enemies.

The ink wasn’t even dry before the President came under attack by former Vice-President Dick Cheney –who launched a public campaign intended to discredit the president’s security strategy for political gain and sought to pressure politicians into turning back the clock.  It’s no surprise at all that he has employed the same fear-mongering tactics that he and others used to mislead the American people into the disastrous war in Iraq.

And as Dick Cheney starts to recede to the background, his daughter Liz has picked up the baton – even going so far as to claim that “No, waterboarding is not torture.” The apple definitely doesn’t fall far from the tree.

So, let’s start with the facts . . .the arguments for closing Guantanamo – and the options for trying, detaining or transferring detainees – are strong and sound.  Guantanamo is known the world over as a place where people have been abused and tortured. Many of the egregious techniques that have shocked the international community – stripping and hooding detainees, blaring music non-stop for several hours at ear-shattering levels and waterboarding – have been used there.

No matter how many times the former Vice President, his daughter, or others try to “rebrand” torture in the Orwellian language of “enhanced interrogation”, deny outright that it happened, or admit it without apology claiming great successes with no proof (all of which they’ve done), the truth is that torture will forever be the legacy of Guantanamo.

More than a dozen retired military leaders joined President Obama when he announced his decision to close Guantanamo. Why?  Clearly they strongly believe it is in America’s national security interest, and they understand as well as anybody the consequences of America turning its back on its own values.  Former Secretary of State, General Colin Powell and former commander of U.S. forces in Iraq General David Petraeus agree.  Gen. Powell has said:  If it was up to me, I would close Guantanamo. Not tomorrow, but this afternoon. I'd close it.” His view is shared by Gen. Petraeus in equally strong terms: “We don’t need it, and it’s causing us far more damage than any good we get for it.”

So what is this fight about? First and foremost, it’s about politics.  Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney and the right wing want to keep Americans perpetually fearful. It was central to their effort selling the idea of invading Iraq; why not with Guantanamo? They are counting on Congress being cowed and intimidated yet again.

This campaign to Close Gitmo Now is about organizing Americans of all stripes who say no to torture, no to divisiveness, and no to the legacy of the last eight years. But we have to pressure Congress to make it happen. In the last ten months, the right wing has attacked Obama’s intent to close Guantanamo. There have been very few voices challenging them and challenging Congress to stand up to them. Today, we’re standing up to provide a strong, alternative voice, and to demonstrate that millions of Americans support Obama keeping his campaign promise to close Guantanamo.

President Obama is trying to do the right thing not only in terms of closing the book on this dark chapter in our past, but in crafting a national security policy that makes us safer in the future.

I hope you’ll join our campaign today: http://www.newsecurityaction.org/page/speakout/closegitmonow

blog comments powered by Disqus