January, 21 2009, 10:06am EDT
President Obama Orders Prosecution To Seek Suspension Of Guantanamo Military Commissions
Late
last night, President Barack Obama ordered the prosecution to seek a
120-day suspension of the ongoing Guantanamo military commissions.
The following can be attributed to Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union:
NEW YORK
Late
last night, President Barack Obama ordered the prosecution to seek a
120-day suspension of the ongoing Guantanamo military commissions.
The following can be attributed to Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union:
"On Day One, President Obama kept
his promise to halt the unconstitutional military commissions by
ordering the prosecution to seek a 120-day suspension. Had the
proceedings continued, the Bush administration would have permanently
tied his hands and stopped him from being able to fulfill a top level
campaign promise. Within the next 120 days, we trust that the
President's team will be studying and finalizing plans and a timeline
for permanently closing Guantanamo, shuttering the military commissions
and ensuring justice is served in the best of American traditions.
President Obama's 'time out' comes at the perfect time in these
shameful military commissions and shows he means business on Day One.
President Obama has to restore an America we can be proud of again by
once and for all shutting down Guantanamo and its shameful military commissions."
On Monday, the ACLU delivered to the
Obama transition team its comprehensive plan to close Guantanamo and
handle the remaining detainees. The plan was sent to White House
Counsel Gregory Craig, Attorney General designate Eric Holder,
Secretary of State designate Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense
Robert Gates, among others, to be considered alongside the Department
of Defense proposal commissioned by Secretary Gates.
A copy of the ACLU's plan can be found online at: www.aclu.org/safefree/detention/38424leg20090121.html
The prosecution's motion requesting the suspension of commission proceedings can be found online at: www.aclu.org/safefree/detention/38422lgl20090120.html
More on the ACLU's work to close Guantanamo and the military commissions can be found online at: www.closegitmo.com
The American Civil Liberties Union was founded in 1920 and is our nation's guardian of liberty. The ACLU works in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.
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