Obama´s orders to close Guantanamo prison receive welcome

Source: Xinhua | 01-23-2009 07:50

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama issued executive orders to close the Guantanamo prison in Cuba on Thursday that received welcome from human right activists and defense attorneys of terrorist suspects who are held there.

U.S. President Barack Obama signs an executive order closing the military prison at the U.S. military base in Guantanamo, Cuba, in the Oval Office on second  official day at White House in Washington, January 22, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Obama signed three executive orders and a presidential directive, asking for the closure of the controversial facility within one year, a systematic review of detention policies and procedures and all individual cases, and a ban on harsh interrogation methods.

"The message that we are sending the world is that the United States intends to prosecute the ongoing struggle against violence and terrorism and we are going to do so vigilantly and we are going to do so effectively and we are going to do so in a manner that is consistent with our values and our ideals," Obama said.

Brian Mizer, a defense attorney for the Guantanamo cases, described the day when the order were released "a great day for America."

Stacy Sullivan from New York-based Human Rights Watch also told reporters that she hopes "this will be a museum memorializing a really shameful chapter in American history."

However, military prosecutor Jeff Groharing said that he hopes the military trials will resume since victims of terrorist attacks "need justice to be done."