Closing Gitmo

The Biden Administration has done well by launching a formal review of the future of the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Though we last heard about its possible closure during the Obama presidency, since then the matter has been pending without any visible progress. There is little doubt that the controversial ‘facility’ – as the American media call it – is more of a centre for human rights violations than a facility. The closing of this centre should have taken place much earlier but due to some misgivings by the American security apparatus, it has lingered on for over a decade now. President Biden would do well by signing an executive order as early as possible, so that no procrastinated legislation is initiated in this regard. Though the US has not been much concerned about its global image when it comes to its own priorities, Guantanamo prison is a particularly nasty blot on America’s global persona. If President Biden does not take executive action now, we are not likely to see the closure of this high-security prison anytime soon.

The Guantanamo Naval Station is notorious for its highhanded methods of interrogation including torture; human rights advocates both in and out of the US have been demanding that it is dismantled. There have been numerous covert and overt legal and political obstacles that hindered even Obama when he tried to close down the torture centre. The correct number of foreign suspects held in the prison during the past 20 years is a matter of speculation. Since 9/11, American forces have used this prison as an area that activists and protesters from the mainland cannot approach. The offshore location of this jail has insulated its inmates from the outside world. All wars demonstrate a callous disregard for human dignity and the ‘war on terror’ has shown even more excesses during harsh interrogations. The methods employed there have drawn condemnation from all over the world but the US authorities have been reluctant in admitting the magnitude of torture there.

The National Security Council of the US has a lot to answer for and it must play its due role under the new administration and assess the current situation. The Biden Administration needs to restore the tarnished image of the US and by closing the center in Guantanamo it will facilitate the process. Apparently, there are multiple players involved in this matter such as the departments of defence, justice, and state. The US Congress also needs to have a favourable look at this development so that no unforeseen hitch is created at this stage. It is worth recalling that Obama had initiated a closure policy that Trump reversed after assuming power in 2017. Trump deliberately kept this prison open and there are dozens of prisoners who have been held there reportedly for over a decade. Some of the prisoners have not even been charged or tried. It was one of Biden’s campaign promises that he would support the closing of the detention centre. We hope he fulfils his promise.