CNN

The majority of those imprisoned have been put there for no reason. no charges filed, mostly due to the lack of a crime. Dont worry you little chickenliver yellow belly heads over it....they arent going to getyou! You'll be fine without W to protect you from the bogey man, brown skinned people, non christians, and monsters in the closet.

Will Obama use and respect the GENEVA conventions in the matter of those prisoners of GITMO?

Gotta love all the knowledge that comes from people who have never served at GTMO.

If one of the reasons that you voted for Obama was to close Gitmo,it looks like he will fulfill his promise.I think you should volunteer to become a foreign exchange program person at your house,so you can help these poor abused prisoners.I think Obama wants us all to step up and do our part and have these people love us.

Since our new President thinks these poor innocent victims of Bush and Cheny are such nice people, I think they should be released in his daughters new school.

had there been a president in office with half a brain in 2001 after the attacks this wouldn't have been an issue and we all would have been better off.

All those griping that closing Gitmo compromises security:
- why are "normal" prisons not secure enough? They have been always been for other criminals and terrorists, why aren't they now?

To all those griping about this being a sign of weakness:
- If you need to compromise your constitution, laws, and the Geneva convention to deal with terrorists: who exactly has won – the civilised world or the terrorists?

To justify not giving alleged terrorists due process because actual terrorists wouldn't do the same to us, is silly: would you steal from a thief because he stole from you? Laws are there for a reason, you know. They differentiate between a civilised country like the USA and barbarians like terrorists. If you stoop to their level, you are not better than them.

Guantanamo is an ugly and shameful blot on the American sense of honor and fairness for all. Those being held should be charged and tried fairly and sentenced and punished, or they should be deported back to their home nation if their case is unprovable. For God's sake, let us take the high road here and do what is right and honorable. Carry on, Mr. President.

Judging by some of the comments some people are not aware of what has been going for for the last 8 years. Please before you continue to sound uneducated read up on the Geneva Convention. Don't continue to open you mouth and insert your foot. We've had enough of that over the last 8 years. Maybe we should throw shoes at all the "smart" people with the "smart" comments.

Keep it open and keep them there. We don't need anymore dangerous or potentially dangerous folks in the states! We got enough already to deal with here.

Janice dear nobody is saying let them free. Just get them out of that hell on earth. We don't even know which ones did what. Don't you think we ought to find that out before we sentence them? Could be they are guilty. But it is better to know that then just hold them because our folks who died did not have their rights respected.

OK folks, regardless of what everyone may think about it, the Supreme Court already ruled that the US Constitution applies to the men locked down there. A previous ruling said that when the US Constitution (for whatever reason) CANNOT be applied to enemies of this country at the very least the Geneva Convention has to be followed, and the US signed the Convention in 1948 or 49 (can't recall the exact year) thus it's an international law that we follow.
Therefore the due legal process is what the guys, and only those that are really willing to kill themselves in order to see the USA fall to it knees or worst, have to face it. Finding who's who among the detainees and which proofs and evidences against them are legal and can be upheld in a court is the first step.
Do otherwise would be starting to go down to their level.

To Liz and Janice........why do you hate the United States? I guess you're not "Real Americans" after all.

One more thing....... PLEASE STOP ALREADY WITH THE FEAR MONGERING........ ITS SICK.

Good. When the Obama administration opens the Guantanamo can of worms....... we will finally know the whole TRUTH about the Bush/Cheney war crimes!

In the last article some small-minds were complaining that Obama did not have his jacket on in the Oval Office! PLEASE! This form people who claim to be the "real Americans" you know.... the Joe the plumber types!

Showing RESPECT for the Office of the Presidency and for Our Nation is much more than how one dresses!

The facts are that Bush/Cheney trashed our Constitution which they swore to uphold and defend!

The facts are that Bush/Cheney ignored the Geneva Convention, which was authored in part by the United States and its Allies after the hideous conditions of WWII POWs were discovered!

We need to do an investigation of Guantanamo, hear everyone's story, and YES....... CLOSE DOWN THIS TORTURE CHAMBER!

1) Order your armored cars now to drive your kids to school and

2) Buy yourself a flak jacket to wear to work.

What does Al Qaeda have to fear now? Nothing.

Lets fill it with Limbaugh followers.

Why are we changing the rules? Don't you want another 7 years of no attacks? Guess not.

no more fears of anything for Al Qaeda as they prepare the next 9/11--

No Guantanamo-no enhanced interrogation techniques--just TLC from Obama--this will make recruiting so much easier for bin Laden-

People speak as if we are simply turning them loose, and back to Iraq or getting them a ticket anywhere they want to go. That is NOT what is happening – if we have evidence against them, they will be prosecuted, not released. If other countries have reason to prosecute them, they will be sent there. If we have no evidence against them, after all this time, then the system of justice that we believe is the best in the world says that we must let them go. That is what America stands for – fairness and justice. Bush should have done the same thing, but could never admit that he made a mistake,

send them to the White House where Obama can reason with them/

This country needs to lead by example. We are a Democracy and people on our soil are innocent until proven guilty. If we expect to spread Democracy we need to follow its rules. We are not above them. Every person there needs to be given a fair trial. If they are guilty they will be prosecuted.

everyone asks the same question…..where are they going to put them ?? …..Answer : since no country wants them ie : europe / canada & etc etc…..and the u.s. doesn't either….. If these are the same people that was responsible for 911, then the best thing would be to put them in front of a firing line, and totally eliminate the problem, not to mention saving taxpayers money !!

Move them all to prisons near exclusive Hollywood estates or next door to the Kennedys.

Why would there be any opposition to putting them into established American correctional institutions? Other non US citizens who are guilty of crimes are put into them........Are these conspiritors somehow different because of what they were conspiring to do?

From a different vantage point – how do you think the Gitmo transfers will be greeted by their American felonious counterparts? I know what inmates do to child molesters and rapists.......what might they do to international terrorists who threaten the US? hmmm........

How short the memory of our "enlightened" citizens. I for one have not forgotten 9/11 nor do I want to ever experience that again on US soil.

Janice,

Don't hurt yourself thinking,

BOOOO
Did I scare you?

There's radicals everywhere, sometimes they are in the desert, and sometimes they are presidents who launch attacks on nations that did NOTHING to us.

Well the guy he picked to launch his career was a terrorist, so why would this surprise anybody?

Yes, I'm pleased the government is working on closing Gitmo. But how about concentrating on the other 2,385,612 problems that need attention here in the United States right now? Guantanamo Bay can wait.

Now what about our 2 criminals that just left office? I would soooooo love for them to get a taste of Gitmo.....I love my new prez!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Jon in CA"
You really are a scardy-cat! You are the one who is "cowering." These terrorists have made you so scared you will trade in your freedoms for security. I think Ben Franklin said people who do that will end up with neither. It's funny. Right-wingers talk so much about independence and freedom, but then immediately put their faith in their own government.
Don't you realize your own government is a bigger threat to you than any terrorist could ever be? If Gitmo remained open, how long do you think before American Citizens fell into that legal black hole? 5 years? 10 years? Anybody can be called a terrorist. That is why we have a trial. There must be due process.

Notice how those who want Gitmo closed have no real solution as to where to send them or what to do with those who are actually dangerous. All they do is attack. You know Bush is not President any more. You don't have to remain on the defensive.

If anyone can tell me where to send them please let me know.

PRESIDENT OBAMA IS DOING EXACTLY WHAT HE PROMISED ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT.

YEAAAAA!

I have a question for those of you who feel that it is fine and dandy to keep people in a prison camp for years on end without even bothering to charge them with a crime and then torture them to boot. If this is really the best way to prevent further attacks or crimes, should our legal system use those tactics against US citizens who also commit crimes?

Those of you complaining simply don't get it. The so-called "war on terror" is an ideological war, so whoever abandons their ideology first loses. Therefore, we already lost when Bush started torturing these people, violating the rights of our own citizens by wiretapping them and a whole host of other deviations from the tenets upon which our country was founded, such as inalienable human rights and liberty and justice FOR ALL.

It would be laughable if it weren’t so tragic. You right wing nutters are so scared and cowardly that you’re willing to let your rights slide away. Your as bad as the left wingers. You may disagree, but habeas corpus is a God given right in my book. What are you afraid of? Every time we as a society give into our fears and allow our rights to be squashed we diminish the sacrifices our forefathers and all those who died to protect this great country and what we stand by.

It’s time we all start acting like Americans, which starts with the courage to do the right thing.

Close Gitmo for two reasons: to bring the prisoners onto US soil so that they get their "inalienable" rights – yep, folks, that's right. Those rights were given by God Hisownself and no frightened Republican is greater than God. Second reason is to show the world that Bush's rain of ignorance and lawlessness is over. We are America again. I'm so proud of the nation right now. We truly walked the walk.

@Liz, Janice, Jon in CA...

Why not just buy one bullet and shoot it thru the heads of the "terrorists?" Who knows, you can line them up and if the rifle is powerful enough, then you can save money on bullets. I mean that takes care of your problem with having these dangerous terrorists on US soil, right?

But wait... oh yeah, that little fact that the Bush Administration and all the right-wing nutjobs keep conveniently forget, this is a country that goes by rule of law. Guess you must not have been listening to Obama's inaugural speech where he says, "As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals." The fact is the legal black hole that is Guantanamo Bay does not represent the ideals of our country... and if you don't see that, you're in the wrong country. You need some two-bit dictatorship where the dictator makes the laws on his whims...

Here how you spell one term in the White House if you closed GTMO. M-I-S-T-A-K-E

Liberty and Justice for all CITIZENS. Trust me, go to Iran and see if they give a flying you know what about YOUR LIBERTIES or JUSTICE for you?? Hmmm......

Kinda too bad. It's the only place on US soil where people receive Universal Health Care.

My preference would be for the military to issue orders that state, "Effective immediatel, all personel be advised no matter where you are stationed or the object of your mission, there shall be NO PROISIONERS TAKEN."

Let us hope we never stoop to evil's level again. Even now many people don't understand how Gitmo has hurt our moral authority around the world. I'm sorry that you feel it necessary to sacrifice the free worlds principles and ethical regard for all humans.

There will always be monsters out there with no regard for human life let alone human rights let's not become one.

Allelujiah!!

Darth Vadik, CA

And calling someone a moron is a reflection on you. Guantanamo Bay is a military prison! That's where terror suspect belong! They don't hold the same rights that U.S. citizens do!!!

Thank God this dark stain on our good name is going to come to an end finally. Bring these people here, determine their crimes, and put them on trial. We've disgraced ourselves, all of us, by allowing this operation to continue. Bush could have and should have put an end to this a long time ago.

Liz and Jon seem to be living in the past and full of unfounded fear.

Set aside childish things, folks.
Or to put it another way, lead, follow or get out of the way.

If you have a good idea of where they should go, then say so. If you're just going to repeat right wing hate radio mantras, then get lost.

Barack, cut a deal to bormalize relations with Cuba, in return ask them to take care of the group.

God help us.

We have intered into a agreement long ago about prisoners of war to be treated with human rights. all prisoners will be given do process of inocents or guilt but will not be miss treated in any way this is called the genevia convention if my son happend to become a prisoner of war I could only hope and pray that he wouldn't become a victome of tourture. now those of you who seem upset with this then I have one question for you IS YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER IN THE MILITARY IF NOT SHUT THE HELL UP> we have a new Preident it is time to build america back up and the first thing we as the people need to do is respect, honar, and defend our nation leader.

Nick,
Terrorists are not part of the Geneva Convention. We won't stoop to their level as they continue to plan the best way to destroy us.

I truly want to support our new President, but we can't become cowering fools.

Let's tell the world "it's ok to reign terror on the US"! Our new president doesn't care, he just wants to "get along" with everyone. (unfortunately, that isn't how a terrorist thinks) If he just lets all the detainees go, can he at least send them out of the United States? Maybe they will end up on the "no fly" list. That might make it slightly difficult to come back in to kill Americans!

I will never forget those who perished in the 9/11 attacks or those who gave their lives serving country. I would hope our new president wouldn't either.

i realize we'll have to find a place to keep these hard core criminals, but this place needs to be closed and the sooner the better.

Janice, where have you been the last 8 years?! A great deal of "foreigners" wish the death of Americans right now...because of things like Gitmo–how about we try something like Fidel did in the 80's and just "boatlift" them to other end of Cuba? Would that satisfy you? Just so they're not in "your backyard" right?!

Why not tomorrow?

One step closer to restoring our broken integrity and saving some money. How much is it costing us to run Guantamano?

Big mistake, Obama. Are you going to bring them here to be tried in our court system? Really? And once you do that and their cases end up in the hands of some liberal judge who decides that thay shouldn't be held or they get off on some technicality, guess what? They get let out the front door and into the streets of our country.

Great decission, Mr. President. America's Foreign Policies–has gotten us in this situation . . . of other's having a dislike to America.

And, if America's Foreign Policies don't CHANGE, we'll be looking at more destruction!

Jon in CA,

you must be either from Orange county (the only county in the US to go bankrupt, which is strange because its made up of rich white folks who pay fair taxes – he he), or Sacremento (I'm not even going there).

I'm sure a guy who would blow up himself to kill really cares if Guantanamo Bay is open or closed. Guantanamo Bay is reflection on the US, moron. We prosecuted people who have hit us before, AND THEY ARE IN JAIL OR DEAD (I'm talking about McVeigh), so don't even give me this crap about what will happen to these people now. If you have eveidence, put them on trial, in the US, like we used to do to every alleged criminal.

Some people just disgust me, you really do.

Liberty and justice for all, JUSTICE means a fair trial.

Jon in CA January 21st, 2009 5:20 pm ET

Great work, Obama!! It tells the terrorists we're not that serious about detaining and prosecuting them.

Keep waiving the white flag. We want to make sure ALL enemies around the world see the new American approach of "cowering".

===============================================
How is keeping them detained and actually trying them for their crimes cowering? Isn't that what we stand for? Proving guilt? If these people are guilty – which they should be, since we've been holding them for so long – then the just thing to do would be to try and convict them.
Right now, we are stooping to their level. We need to prove that justice is the means to justice. Then, we can proudly wave our flag – red, white and blue.

Sue and Veronica , they need to torture both of you for being so stupid!

That is just a shame. All the things to handle on day one and this is what you thought was important. You just made the whole country less safe. I guess the right was correct.

Lets not play stupid here in the comments. No doubt they'll find places to jail any terrorists.

This is a positive step. We shouldn't be setting up off-shore prisons as an excuse for our defense. If we're willing to go to war, lets keep to our own laws and give anyone we've accused their fair rights according to our laws. Lets not forget that doing the right thing is what separates us and gives our claim to justice more credence.

So where will all the terror suspects be sent? I've heard there's space now available on William Ayers' street! Bring them INTO THE U.S.! Great Idea, Obama!

How about the prisoners get relocated to Washington DC? NIce and close to the President. Moving them to the U.S. is beyond ludicrous and giving them "rights" is unfathomable. Our country is in big trouble with this type of view towards radicals who want to kill Americans.

No, it tells the world we're serious about human rights, the Geneva Conventions, etc., even though our enemies don't. It sets a tone that we don't stoop to their level of behavior.

My President is a man of his word,you make me proud,Sir!

Great work, Obama!! It tells the terrorists we're not that serious about detaining and prosecuting them.

Keep waiving the white flag. We want to make sure ALL enemies around the world see the new American approach of "cowering".

We'll just ignore the gorilla in the room.

They won't tell us where the prisoners are going because they haven't thought that far ahead.

They'll ultimately put them in another prison...gitmo with a different name and probably on US soil. They'll also probably offer them better living conditions than some citizens.

But who cares...the rest of world will like us again, right?

Maybe we can let the US haters loose on/near the White House and see how BO likes it.

They don't want to do harm to us. Just let them go. Well never see them again.....except right before they blow themselves up on our soil in a public place.

BO you are a domestic terroists if you let these animals loose.

Any word on where the dangerous prisoners are headed?

Now THIS is change to believe in-get rid of the torture facility, and the people who ran it. Next: investigate the torture and the people who illegally authorized it (are you able to sleep at night GW?)

so we now want to require the CIA to bring flowers and candy to the bad guys and ask them the please tell us your plan?

Man you left wing dems really live in your own world don't you.

What Obama has just done has just cut down the US's intelligence gathering more than 70%. The only way to get terrorists to talk, is by using methods that some would say are extreme. But those same terrorists, if they were to get their hands on an American or British citizen, would cut their head off without thinking.

Obama has screwed us all...

MISTAKE

Please dont bring them here!

i hope they send them to san fransico......or vermont.........

Wow! Yes, let's move the people responsible for 9/11 into our country and see if we can make a bigger bullseye for the next attack! I understand not liking Gitmo, but do we really want to house terrorists in our prison system and give them the best lawyers money can buy so that they can laugh in our face when they bomb us shortly after being released?

AMEN, AMEN, AMEN.

Bush's creation of GITMO was a HORRIFIC Presidential legacy that will follow him forever. It's just one of many of disgraceful decisions that will mark him FOREVER as being the WORST PRESIDENT in modern day history.

THANK GOD!!!