Senate Democrats Reject Funding to Close Gitmo

20 May 09 | RT and AJE

Barack Obama’s controversial decision to shut down Guantanamo Bay made headlines around the world. But while most Democrats initially supported the plan, now theyre refusing to finance the move. (2:50):

Even Obama’s allies in the Senate are not too keen on providing the funding necessary to close down Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Apparently, the Justice Department and Pentagon are not going to get the 80 million dollars they need to relocate some 240 detainees. This is because the Obama administration has yet to come up with a concrete plan on what to do – questions arise about where they will be placed.

‘Defending the unknown’

Dick Durbin, a senior Democrat senator, said Obama had put Democrats in an awkward spot by asking for funding without an accompanying plan.

“The feeling was at this point we were defending the unknown,” he said. “We were being asked to defend a plan that hasn’t been announced.”

The senate, however, took up the U.S. president’s request for money for military and diplomatic operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Democrats in the House of Representatives last week also dropped funding to close Guantanamo when producing their version of the war funding bill, which was easily passed. >>>

RELATED:

• Little Known Military Thug Squad Still Brutalizing Prisoners at Gitmo Under Obama (15 May 09)