Obama Restarts Gitmo Tribunals
CNN reports:
The United States will resume using military commissions to prosecute alleged terrorists held at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility, President Barack Obama said Monday.
The announcement said the Obama administration remains committed to closing the controversial detention facility, but will rescind its previous suspension on bringing new charges before military commissions.
The commissions are military proceedings rather than trials in civilian courts. In an executive order accompanying his announcement, Obama also authorized prosecuting Guantanamo detainees in U.S. criminal courts when appropriate.
Obama previously pledged to close the Guantanamo Bay facility within a year of taking office in January 2009. However, it remains open due to legal complexities involving the status of some detainees and congressional opposition to holding trials for high-profile suspects in U.S. criminal courts.
Shortly after Obama's announcement, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced the withdrawal of his prior suspension of new charges before military commissions.
Gates cited reforms of the military commissions under a 2009 law, and expressed his support for also using civilian courts to prosecute terrorism suspects.
"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' statement said. "For years, our federal courts have proven to be a secure and effective means for bringing terrorists to justice. To completely foreclose this option is unwise and unnecessary."
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