The Obama Administration effort to close the terrorism jail at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base basically died yesterday, as the White House announced that terror trials could resume there.
The plan to shutdown the terror prison was announced at the start of President Obama's first term - but it faced strong opposition in both parties, and ultimately went nowhere.
Still, despite the change in approach, officials from the President on down refused to rule out the idea of bringing terrorists into the U.S. court system for trial, an idea that has drawn bipartisan opposition, along with the bid to close GTMO.
"From the beginning of my Administration, the United States has worked to bring terrorists to justice consistent with our commitment to protect the American people and uphold our values," said President Obama in a written statement released well after the daily White House briefing with reporters.
While military tribunals seem likely to resume now at Guantanamo Bay, the President was careful not to rule out trials in U.S. civilian courts.
"I strongly believe that the American system of justice is a key part of our arsenal in the war against al Qaeda and its affiliates, and we will continue to draw on all aspects of our justice system," Mr. Obama added.
"I believe that it is important that we maintain the option of prosecuting alleged terrorists in federal courts in the United States," echoed Defense Secretary Robert Gates, whom many believe is near the end of his time in that post.
"For reasons of national security, we must have available to us all the tools that exist for preventing and combating international terrorist activity, and protecting our nation," Gates added.
From the beginning, the Obama bid to close Guantanamo seemed doomed to failure, as the Congress repeatedly wrote into budget bills a prohibition on shutting down the facility and moving terrorism suspects to U.S. soil.
In fact, just last week, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was all but ridiculed at a House budget hearing for continuing to say that closing GTMO was a goal of the White House and one that Holder could still see occuring.
The current plan to shift terrorist detainees to a prison in Illinois that would have to be purchased by the feds went nowhere, as it fell with a thud in the halls of the Congress.
"I am pleased...that that the President reversed his earlier decision and will re-start military commissions at Guantanamo," said House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep Buck McKeon (R-CA).
While McKeon called it a "positive step in the right direction," he raised a red flag about the absence of any mention on what will happen to those behind the Nine Eleven attacks who are at Guantanamo, like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
On the Democratic side, liberals were aggravated with the change, which basically returns U.S. policies to those of the Bush Administration - policies that Democrats roundly attacked in the 2008 elections.
"The American justice system is the envy of the world, but the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay has done immeasurable damage to that system," said Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT).
"I believe we must charge suspects and bring them to trial, not establish a new system that contemplates indefinite detention," he added.
