"Guantánamo is not necessary to keep America safe. It is expensive. It is inefficient. It hurts us in terms of our international standing. It lessens cooperation with our allies on counterterrorism efforts. It is a recruitment tool for extremists. It needs to be closed."
We've waited a long time for those words from the president. Don't let this day go by without calling the President and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and urging them to close Guantánamo now.
No More Guantanamos joins Close Guantanamo in asking you to Contact President Obama, 202-456-1111, and tell him to please:
- Release the 86 prisoners cleared for release by the inter-agency task force
- Initiate objective reviews for the 46 others the president designated for indefinite detention without charge or trial in an executive order two years ago
- Appoint a White House official to direct the closure of Guantánamo
- Direct the Secretary of Defense to use his authority under the law to release men who will not be charged
- Lift his blanket ban on sending home the cleared Yemeni prisoners.
And if you live in Amherst or Leverett (Mass.) or in Berkeley, California, remind him that your community has passed a resolution to welcome a few cleared prisoners.
Contact Chuck Hagel at the Department of Defense, 703-571-3343, and tell him to please use his authority under the law to resume transferring the 86 men cleared for release by President Obama's inter-agency task force. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA 2013) gives him the authority to certify men or issue waivers so they can be released from Guantánamo.
Please forward to your friends and allies.
Thank you, as always, for all you do.