Win-win but no go
Obama’s plan to close the ‘Gitmo’ seems nothing more than an effort to remind the US about his legacy
At the end of his second term as President of the United States of America, Barack Obama has decided to try and close the detention facility at the Guantanamo Bay in US territory in Cuba. Speaking to the media on this last Tuesday he said he would approach the US Congress. He said it was an opportunity to finally eliminate a terrorist propaganda tool, strengthen relationships with allies, enhance national security, and, most importantly, save the taxpayer millions of dollars. In an appeal to the nation Mr Obama said, “For many years it has been clear that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay does not advance our national security... it undermines it.”
Interestingly Mr Obama stressed how former president George W Bush and John McCain, both Republicans, agreed on the need to close it, and how it later became a partisan issue. That opposition continues even today. Republicans have come out opposing the US president’s plan and most Democrats are conspicuously silent on it. Speaker of the House of Representatives Ryan Paul, last Wednesday, said that they had the numbers in Congress to oppose the plan. In his victory speech after the Nevada caucus, Donald Trump, Republican frontrunner for the party’s presidential nomination, said about the detention facility that “we’re going to keep it open, load it up with bad dudes”.
The truth is unless a miracle were to happen Mr Obama is unlikely to get this passed in a Republican-dominated Congress. Thus, it looks more likely that the attempt to close the detention facility is Mr Obama’s chance to remind the US of his efforts to do so through his seven years in office. This also reflects the US’ struggle with its war on terror. While on the one hand it works towards eliminating terror, on the other it does not have a credible strategy — not after 15 years — on how to go about it. Mr Obama has said that it is a win-win plan as this would ensure US safety, uphold US values around the world and also save millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money every year. Sadly, there are very few takers for his argument.