The Associated Press reports that Congress is going to appropriate $50 million for the closing of Gitmo, as requested by the Obama administration. But, the money comes with a catch.
The AP doesn’t say so, but these provisions have the potential to get in the way of the Obama administration’s Gitmo diplomacy. The administration has been trying to negotiate the release of detainees to European nations, but it turns out that some European politicians are not keen on taking in the detainees, many of whom have received training at terrorist camps and have ostensible ties to al Qaeda and the Taliban. In order to assuage their concerns, the Obama administration has proposed releasing several Uighur detainees, all of whom are affiliated with the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Party (a UN and U.S. designated terrorist organization) in the United States. This quid pro quo is supposed to demonstrate to our European allies a willingness to spread the risk around. But, if the funds for closing Gitmo come with the provisions described above, then the administration could be prevented from releasing the Uighurs in the United States. This could, in turn, delay the administration’s attempts to convince European nations to take detainees. This is no small point. The negotiated transfers are a major part of the Obama administration’s strategy for closing Gitmo. But, as the AP notes, releasing detainees or transferring them to facilities in the United States, is a “political minefield.” And the Democrats in Congress would rather not risk stepping on any of these mines. It is worth asking: What level of cooperation, if any, is there between the administration and Congress on this? Is Congress stepping on the administration’s toes? Or, is there some plan to make sure these provisions do not derail the administration’s diplomatic efforts?
