WASHINGTON - January 11 -  Today marks the eight-year anniversary of the establishment of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. During his presidential campaign, President Obama often pledged to close the facility and end the military commissions taking place. On his second full day in office, the president signed an executive order promising to close the detention facility within one year. It is now acknowledged within the administration that this deadline will not be met, but the president and his advisors continue to pledge their commitment to closing the facility.
 
The following can be attributed to Virginia Sloan, president of the Constitution Project:
 
"The Obama administration is committed to closing Guantanamo, and the Constitution Project has long advocated that the detainees be prosecuted in the federal courts, not in military commissions, and that the administration should reject indefinite detention without charge. Our federal courts have a proven track record of successfully handling the most sensitive terrorism cases, as have our federal prisons in holding suspects pre-trial and post-conviction. Military commissions and indefinite detention without charge are inconsistent with the constitutional values the president and his advisors swore to uphold.
 
"There is significant bipartisan support for the return to our nation's constitutional principles in determining what to do with those still detained at Guantanamo, some for nearly eight years now. The Obama administration should reject the failed policies that have gotten us no closer to closing Guantanamo, led us away from our nation's values, and damaged our security and international reputation. The president should rely on the respected leaders with relevant experience in these matters who strongly recommend adhering to the rule of law."
 
In November, over 120 prominent Americans released Beyond Guantanamo: A Bipartisan Declaration, calling on the Obama administration and Congress to support a policy for closing Guantanamo that is consistent with our constitutional principles and ensures our country's security. An effort coordinated by the Constitution Project and Human Rights First and joined by former members of Congress, diplomats, federal judges and prosecutors, high-level military and government officials, as well as national security and foreign policy experts, bar leaders, and family members of 9/11 victims, the Declaration supports federal court prosecution of terrorism suspects and opposes indefinite detention without charge. There are now nearly 140 signatories to the Declaration.
 
In recent days, signatories to the Declaration have rejected criticism of the Obama administration's decision to prosecute Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, charged with the failed Christmas day airline bombing, in a federal court in Michigan. Former Republican members of Congress Bob Barr and Mickey Edwards have posted blog pieces rejecting these critics' scare tactics, while former Michigan U.S. Attorneys James Brady and Richard Rossman voiced their support for Abdulmutallab's prosecution in federal court in a recent opinion piece in the Detroit Free Press.
 
To view Mr. Edward's blog post on The Atlantic, go to:
http://correspondents.theatlantic.com/mickey_edwards/
 
To view Mr. Barr's two postings on the Atlanta Journal Constitution, go to:
http://blogs.ajc.com/bob-barr-blog/
 
To view Mr. Brady and Mr. Rossman's opinion piece in the Detroit Free Press, go to:
http://www.freep.com/article/20100111/OPINION05/100111063/1336/OPINION/American-values-v.-Abdulmutallab
 
Lastly, to view Beyond Guantanamo: A Bipartisan Declaration and a list of its signatories, go to:
http://www.constitutionproject.org/detail.asp?id=75