There appears to be a growing fissure between senior politicans on the Hill and the Pentagon when it comes to closing Gitmo. Yesterday, Senate Majority Harry Reid said that he did not want detainees released or even imprisoned in the U.S. The Senate has decided not to fund the Obama administration’s efforts to close Gitmo. Today, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy, said the following:
The LA Times account, which is re-posted on the Baltimore Sun’s web site adds:
This is going to get interesting, to say the least. Reid was clear yesterday that he doesn’t want any Gitmo detainees brought into the U.S. He was so clear that the press is already providing cover for him by lumping his Gitmo comments in with his missteps on other topics at the press conference. Did Reid simply flub his stance on Gitmo? Perhaps. But, he reiterated his point a few times. Reid, according to the Associated Press, said the following:
And now the Pentagon is pushing back, saying we all need to make hard choices. Indeed, according to the Pentagon there is nothing to worry about. They are still on track to close Gitmo by January 2010.
