this post was submitted on 06 Sep 2024
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What exactly was the reason President Obama could not close Guantanamo Bay? (lemmy.world)
submitted 2 months ago by wantedthefirstaccount@lemmy.world to c/askhistorians@lemmy.world
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[–] MiltownClowns@lemmy.world 35 points 2 months ago (1 children)

There was nowhere to send the prisoners. US states wouldn't take them, and freeing them wasn't an option.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/obama-failed-close-guantanamo

[–] Notyou@sopuli.xyz 8 points 2 months ago

I remember this being the big reason. The US didn't want to let them go, and no state wanted to take them.

[–] ultranaut@lemmy.world 13 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Expending the political capital necessary to push it through would have consumed his presidency in the process. It was a matter of priorities within the political reality of the era.

[–] sakodak@lemmy.world -5 points 2 months ago

Or, more succinctly, it was inconvenient.

Also, imperialism.

[–] mashbooq@infosec.pub 3 points 2 months ago

Congress wouldn't let him, iirc