The (non) funding of Gitmo shutdown saga………..

snowdays

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Wed May-20-09 07:39 AM
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The (non) funding of Gitmo shutdown saga………..

It seems like the Dems in Congress are taking the fall—in the way I read it today (closing down Gitmo). The WH did not have a plan --yet they wanted money. The non plan was critiqued by both sides. Durbin, below seems to say it like is……….

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090519/D989JGJ01.html

………….Reid also mangled his party's position on the congressional news of the day, that Senate Democrats would join their House counterparts in withholding the money President Barack Obama needs to close the Guantanamo Bay prison until Obama comes up with a plan for relocating its prisoners.
But Reid went further than saying he wanted to see a plan for the money before Congress approves it. "We will never allow terrorists to be released into the United States," he said.

No one, of course, was talking about releasing terrorism suspects among the American populace. Imprisoning them, perhaps, but not releasing them.

"Part of what we don't want is them be put in prisons in the United States," Reid clarified but digging himself into a bigger hole by departing significantly from some of his colleagues and administration officials. "We don't want them around the United States."

Did the administration put Democrats in an awkward position, asking for the money before setting out how it would be spent?

"Not at all," said Reid.

"Yes," his deputy, Sen. Dick Durbin replied to the same question…………..

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/19/AR2009051902227.html

Senate Dems to cut $80 million for closing Guantanamo

By Jeremy Pelofsky and Susan Cornwell
Reuters
Tuesday, May 19, 2009; 6:43 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Senate Democrats on Tuesday moved to cut $80 million earmarked for closing the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, a fresh setback for President Barack Obama’s efforts to move beyond the Bush administration’s anti-terror policies.

Backpedaling after intense criticism from Republicans and even some Democrats, the White House acknowledged it needed to submit a plan dealing with the 240 terrorism suspects being held at the prison on a U.S. naval base in Cuba.

Obama has pledged to close the prison by early 2010 and asked that $80 million be included in pending legislation that would fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. That measure is expected to pass Congress in the coming days or weeks.

"The president and Congress will work together on a timeline for a renewed request for whatever resources are needed," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs. "The president still believes it is in our national interest to close Guantanamo Bay." ……………
Senate Democrats initially included the money in the $91.3 billion war funding bill, but barred the administration from moving detainees to U.S. soil and fenced off $50 million until the administration provided a plan for dealing with them.

But they backed off amid criticism that there was no plan for dealing with the detainees and fears any move to bring them to U.S. soil could complicate efforts to prosecute them.

"The feeling was at this point we were defending the unknown. We were being asked to defend a plan that hasn't been announced," said Richard Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat.
Some Republicans have also insisted the prison stay open. ……………………………………….