So reports the AP: “Senior administration officials said Thursday a consensus is building for a proposal to shut the center and transfer detainees to one or more Defense Department facilities, including the maximum-security military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., where they could face trial.” Three senior admininistration officials spoke of ongoing discussions on the subject on condition of anonymity.
A White House meeting Friday regarding a possible closure, however, was removed from the calendar around the time the AP story was made public, and White House spokeswoman Dana Perino commented, “No decisions on the future of Guantanamo Bay are imminent.” Reuters reports, “Perino said several steps would have to be taken before Guantanamo could be closed, including setting up military commissions and the repatriation to their home countries of detainees who had been cleared for release.”
All these caveats call into question just how “near” that “consensus” is to action. More to come.
Lime out
