Amy Pointed Out

Obama Orders Closure of Guantanamo Prison, Interrogations Must Follow Army Field Manual

In a break from the Bush administration, President Barack Obama yesterday ordered the closure of the Guantanamo Bay prison within a year, the immediate closure of secret overseas CIA prisons and for all agencies, including the CIA to abide by the Army Field Manual's acceptable interrogation tactics. Obama also nullified every legal order and opinion on interrogations issued by any lawyer in the executive branch after Sept. 11, 2001. We speak with Vincent Warren, executive director of the Center for Constitutional Rights. [includes rush transcript-partial]

Now, I have to point out that Juan noted that since Bush had already supposedly closed these centers, the fact that Obama closed them *again* meant that Bush had lied about closing them.

But I have to ask, why we might actually believe they are closed now?

I retain my skepticism, however, I must note this bright spot:

US President Barack Obama, in his first full day in office, revoked a controversial executive order signed by President Bush in 2001 that limited release of former presidents' records. Or did he? 

The White House website trumpeted the new Executive Order at 5:04 AM on Thursday. At first everyone thought the new executive order would expand public access to records of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Many hoped it would open up Vice President Cheney's records on the past administration's controversial early meetings with the National Energy Policy Development Group (NEPDG). 

Now, personally, I say, "Screw the Energy Task Force" and get back to Iran-Contra.  If the 'October Surprise' has any valid proof living there in the files, we need to put Bush senior in jail for that first (before the World Court gets him for what he did later).