Gitmo debate distracts attention from Obama’s ISIL failure: Rep.
A US Republican congresswoman has criticized President Barack Obama’s proposal to shutter the Guantanamo Bay military prison, saying the debate over the plan distracted attention from the president's failure in defeating Daesh (ISIL) in Iraq and Syria.
Representative Jackie Walorski, who is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said on Saturday that this whole debate over the closure of the prison in Cuba “is just a distraction from the president’s failure to defeat” ISIL.
"But it does speak to a larger point: The president seems to think as if a more timid America would keep us safe. We, in the House, could not disagree more,” she said, suggesting that the move would make the US more "timid."
Obama presented his long-awaited plan to close the detention camp to Congress on Tuesday, seven years after he made the pledge. He had promised to close the prison during the 2008 presidential election campaign, citing its damage to the US reputation abroad.
His administration will transfer all detainees to the United States for imprisonment, if the Congress agreed to close it. It had compiled a list of 13 potential replacements for the Guantanamo Bay facility.
The Pentagon has already sent assessment teams to some facilities to see if they could be used as maximum-security prisons to house detainees.
Republicans, however, roundly denounced the proposal and are expected to block the move. They argue that the replacement would make a US site a target for terrorist attacks.
As many as 775 detainees were brought to the prison, which was set up after the September 11, 2001 attacks. There are 91 detainees left at the prison.
Washington says the prisoners are terror suspects, but has not pressed charges against most of them in any court. Many detainees have been on hunger strike for months to draw attention to their deteriorating conditions.
Russia, China urge Maduro’s release after US abduction
Condemnations pour in after US bombing of Venezuela, kidnapping of Maduro
Trump claims Venezuelan President Maduro kidnapped, flown out of country
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
Hamas: Israel escalating ceasefire violations in Gaza
Venezuela's government declares unwavering unity behind Maduro
VIDEO | Global outcry over Venezuela president abduction
Iran keeps wheat import subsidies despite cutting other food supports
Venezuelan military stands with acting president after US kidnapping of Maduro
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
VIDEO | Protesters in Toronto slam US kidnapping of Venezuelan president
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
