How Has President Obama Tried To Close Guantanamo Bay?

Cuba, only 400 miles from Miami Fl, is an island in the Caribbean and is renowned for its excellent climate. There are beaches for swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, and boating opportunities. The island has it’s dark secrets as well, there is Guantanamo Bay, a prison nearby, where the detainee’s right are stripped away and they are beaten daily. Closing Guantanamo Bay has been a big debate over the past few years. President Although what they are doing is technically legal, it is still unconstitutional on U.S. soil. Obama promised us that during his term he would close it. Obama has said that "Keeping this facility open is contrary to our values. It undermines our standing in the world. It is viewed as a stain on our broader record of upholding the highest standards of rule of law." Guantanamo Bay is an embarrassment to our country and has been since it opened. The camp was repeatedly criticized by human rights and humanitarian organizations all around—including Amnesty international, Human Rights Watch, and the International committee of the Red Cross—as well as by the European Union and the Organization of American States(OAS), for alleged human rights violations, including the use of various forms of torture during interrogations. We need to close Guantanamo Bay because it costs a lot of money to keep it open, it is unconstitutional, and we can contain the prisoners in the U.S.

Presidential power has been a intensely publicized issue throughout the history of the United States, but even more so in the last couple decades. Presidents have always been pushing the envelope when it comes to what they can and cannot do in office. However as terrorism has become more prevalent in the past twenty years, presidents are faced with more challenges than those of hundreds of years ago. In addition to the threats overseas, every year both parties are becoming more partisan. When the parties do this it creates a gridlock and this makes it hard for anything to get done in Washington. Congress has always been there to keep the president in check and make sure he is not overstepping his boundaries. However presidents often find ways to “get around” going to congress for approval. These sneaky actions by our presidents has created a lot of tension in Washington and is why Presidential Power is such a hot button issue.

There are a few expressed powers mentioned in Article II section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. One of these expressed powers is for the president to be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy when actually called into service. What does the power entail in today's world? After 9/11 the powers under the Commander in Chief grew substantially since the Supreme Court declared that the congressional intent supported the actions of the Commander in Chief. Not all good things come when someone gains more power than they have had before. Under the Bush administration members of the Taliban were rounded up and placed in Guantanamo Bay as detainees. The Bush administration believed that since they prison was in Cuba it fell outside of the U.S. Judicial jurisdiction. With the case of Rasul v. Bush in 2004 determined that the detainees in Guantanamo Bay had the right to habeas corpus petitions. A writ of habeas corpus is used when bringing a detainee or prisoner in front of the court to decide if the imprisonment is lawful or not.

Guantanamo Bay in Cuba houses some of the most dangerous people. The people being held have ranged in committing various crimes. What makes Guantanamo Bay well known is how the time period a detainee has spent in prison without a trial. While in prison for an extensive period of time, a detainee is bound to receive discipline for not following the guards. There are often a variety of different methods that the guards use to teach discipline to the detainees. All who follow Guantanamo Bay as institution often criticizes the measures taken. What makes Guantanamo Bay an ironic place to start this journey is because Guantanamo Bay is at the center of attention to a very important, controversial law passed in 2006. The controversial law was

The United States military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been occupied by over 700 Middle Eastern men suspected of terrorism since 2002. It has been home to some of the most heinous suspected terrorist to ever walk on this Earth. What to do with this military base, has been a major source of conflict within our nation and with other nations for over a decade, with no real reasoning substantial enough to close the base. Although our government has come forward and declared that interrogation methods used on some of the detainees has been unethical and has broken some United States laws. But closing Guantanamo Bay is a task that should not be pursued, because it causes more problems to our countries people, our diplomatic and

As the President of the United States, we see him, or possibly in the future her, as the supreme or ultimate power since they are the highest on the chain. For instance, just as monarchies saw their king or queens. The power of the Executive Branch is solely invested in the President, also assumes the position as head of state and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. Everything you hear from the President is supposed to carry a heavy weight because it is coming from a higher authority figure. You would think with a stroke of a feather light pen and whatever wish the President has asked for has been granted. Not exactly. The president has powers outlined specifically by Article II Section II of Constitution. Although it implements fewer explicit powers to the president than it does Congress. Opposing popular belief, our president powers are “…far more limited in power than we think” (Botsch). Giving these limitations are some examples to…

Following the 9/11 attacks and the Congressional statement giving President Bush the power to seek out and detain terrorists, the Bush Administration asserted the need for an area of detention for these non-state actors. Certain criteria, however, had to be met to satisfy the administration and overall public safety of American citizens. These criteria include a desolate location out of U.S. Territory as to prevent detainee escapes and allow loopholes in treatment of detainees and length of detention. On the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base, these criteria were fully met: it is surrounded by water, as to prevent

On September 11, 2001, the world as Americans where familiar with changed forever. As one of the world’s great super power nations Americans were sure that no one would ever raise a hand against them. Even before that day attacks made on American were small, or thwarted, or the culprits were quickly named and brought to justice. The terrorists who attacked American that day changed the game book, changed the way Americans felt about their safety and began a war that has no real face, no easily identifiable agenda, and no quick ending in sight. To protect the country President George W. Bush signed into law the Patriot Act and help create the office of Homeland Security. Guantanamo Bay was deemed the place to hold those arrested for

Bush 2008, the Supreme Court ruled that Congress did not have the power to stop the Court from hearing requests made by prisoners accused of terrorism locked up at Guantanamo.

(Linkugel & Ware, 1973) He does not deny his decision, as the swapping of prisoners came to use in 2011 in an attempt to negotiate an end to the Afghanistan war. President Obama simply states that “Americas Armed Forces has a pretty sacred rule.... We don't leave our men or women in uniform behind.” (Cohen, Acosta, & Carter, 2014) According to the 2014 Defense Authorization Act, the President must give Congress a 30 day notice of his decisions to release, trade, and exchange captives. Several members of the Armed Forces Committee brought to the table the fact that he misused his power as president by failing to follow the outlines of this Act. President uses denial to dissuade the question of any illegal activity, only casually mentioning the fact that Administration representatives said Tuesday that they construed the law to allow a Guantanamo transference without notice if the notice would "endanger the soldier's

Since the world wars, America has been referred to the most powerful country in the world. Being the most dominant force in the air, water and on land, there seems to be no challenge, domestic or foreign, that the United States Military cannot handle. America is still very powerful and convincing when it comes to policy decisions that influence not only the United States but the whole world. Having a heavy hand in international law, the United States maintains the image of being the most powerful nation not only in the armed forces but even in political decisions. Heading American government is the President of the United States. The President is often referred to as the most powerful man in the world. Even as the head of the United States, the President has many institutional restrictions that limit his power. The limitation on his power is often reflected in his role for implementing legislation. The President has certain authority however, as different Presidents come and go the actual power they have does fluctuate. Other limitations come in the President’s role in War. Most people think that the President has unrestricted power when it comes to the laws of the United States, however they are very mistaken.

Guantanamo Bay is an American Naval base in Cuba for people that try to do harm against the United States. It was opened in 2002 by the Bush administration after 9/11. Recently, President Obama signed an order to close Guantanamo Bay in 2008, because he believes the prisoners deserve a fair trial. President elect Donald Trump, says he plans to keep GITMO running. I believe GITMO should stay open, for the simple fact that thousands of people lost their lives because of these terrible people.

The Bush administration had many good reasons for opening Guantanamo, but Obama recognizes that it is an overall detriment to America.

In the United States, one of the major methods in obtaining crucial information has been through the use of Guantanamo Bay. While many have condemned of the torture that is believed to occur there, not only does Guantanamo Bay comply with national and international standards, but it also complies with Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions (Meese 1) which states

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is originally a naval base that was once used to house detention facilities for Haitian and Cuban refugees fleeing to the United States. It was also used as a refueling station for Navy ships. It was then converted into a high level detention facility to house enemy troops captured in the War on Terror campaign by Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfield. It has three main camps that house the prisoners. These prisoners of war were later referred to as enemy combatants. They were excluded from the prisoner of war statutes of the Geneva Convention because of their involvement in a foreign terrorist organization and therefore earning themselves the title of terrorists. The Guantanamo Bay Detention Center served as the perfect location to send these terrorists. It allowed the United States to strip them of any due process or protection that is provided by US law. Due to its location, being in foreign territory they are only subjected to military law. They are close enough for them to be monitored without interference of intentional agencies or international oversight. Furthermore, the US Government is holding these men without due process because they are deemed too dangerous to be released into the public because of their associations with terrorist organizations and possession of valuable information relating to National Security such as location of key members of a terrorist groups, whereabouts. However, the United States cannot release those