In 2008, candidate Barack Obama, appealing to the anti-war left, vowed to close Guantanamo Bay. As president, he has kept it open. Now, it seems that the effort to close the controversial detention center, which has irked liberals, has ended permanently. The New York Times’ Charlie Savage wrote yesterday that:
The State Department on Monday reassigned Daniel Fried, the special envoy for closing the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and will not replace him, according to an internal personnel announcement. Mr. Fried’s office is being closed, and his former responsibilities will be “assumed” by the office of the department’s legal adviser, the notice said.
The announcement that no senior official in President Obama’s second term will succeed Mr. Fried in working primarily on diplomatic issues pertaining to repatriating or resettling detainees appeared to signal that the administration does not currently see the closing of the prison as a realistic priority, despite repeated statements that it still intends to do so.
Mr. Fried will become the department’s coordinator for sanctions policy and will work on issues including Iran and Syria.
Barry, it looks like those Bush anti-terror policies are more important than you thought, huh?
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