Sunday, November 14, 2010

Gitmo isn't closing and Khalid Sheik Mohammed isn't coming to the U.S for trial

President Obama has broken many of his campaign promises. For instance, he promised to never raise taxes on Americans making less than $200,000 a year or $250,000 for couples. He has broken that promise multiple times. He broke it the first time when he raised federal taxes on cigarettes. Obama broke that promise several times in the Obamamcare health care bill. Taxes were raised on tanning, medical devices and so-called Cadillac health plans. If an extension of the Bush tax cuts isn't passed by year end, middle-class taxpayers face a gargantuan tax hike at the first of the year. Also, Obama's debt commission has suggested a trillion dollars in new taxes.



One campaign promise I can live with President Obama breaking is the promise to close Guantanamo and reject the Military Commission Act. There was little chance of Obama closing Gitmo before this last election. That slim chance has died. Also, President Obama may be forced to reopen the Military commissions or indefinitely hold terrorists without trial.
Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, will probably remain in military detention without trial for the foreseeable future, according to Obama administration officials.

The administration has concluded that it cannot put Mohammed on trial in federal court because of the opposition of lawmakers in Congress and in New York. There is also little internal support for resurrecting a military prosecution at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The latter option would alienate liberal supporters.

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