Attorney General Lynch reportedly blocked Obama's latest plan to close Guantanamo


President Obama has faced numerous roadblocks from Republicans preventing him from following through on his pledge to close the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But the latest obstacle comes from his own attorney general, Loretta Lynch, Reuters reports, citing senior administration officials. At least twice in the past three months, Lynch has reportedly stepped in to block a proposal to allow certain inmates to plead guilty in U.S. federal court via videoconference — thus averting a ban on Guantanamo inmates coming to the U.S. mainland instituted by congressional Republicans. Those inmates would then be imprisoned in a third country.
Lynch's objections are grounded in the laws and customs of criminal procedures, which Justice Department officials say block both pleading guilty over videoconferencing and also pleading guilty without adequate options. "There were some frustrations," a White House official told Reuters. "The top lawyer in the land has weighed in, and that was the DOJ's purview to do that." The State Department, Pentagon, and defense lawyers for the remaining Guantanamo detainees all back the measure.
Obama has reduced the Guantanamo prison population to 80, from about 240 when he took office, and the White House expects 30 detainees cleared for transfer to be moved overseas in the next few months. Another 10 could be approved for transfer later, and 10 more are being tried in military tribunals. Of the remaining 30 detainees, the White House says that 10 to 20 could be dispatched through videoconference guilty pleas, and with 10 to 20 prisoners being guarded by 2,000 military personnel, Obama might finally win congressional backing for closing the prison. Some of the prisoners in limbo were tortured by the U.S., making their evidence inadmissible in U.S. courts. "The beauty of a guilty plea is you don't need a trial," a senior administration official tells Reuters.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Tea app hack: user data stolen from women's dating safety app
In The Spotlight Data leak has led to fears users could be targeted by men angered by the app's premise
-
The Assassin: action-packed caper is 'terrific fun'
The Week Recommends Keeley Hawes stars as a former hitwoman drawn out of retirement for 'one last job'
-
The EPA wants to green-light approval for a twice-banned herbicide
Under the radar Dicamba has been found to harm ecosystems
-
Judge halts GOP defunding of Planned Parenthood
Speed Read The Trump administration can't withhold Medicaid funds from Planned Parenthood, said the ruling
-
Trump contradicts Israel, says 'starvation' in Gaza
Speed Read The president suggests Israel could be doing more to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians
-
Trump executive order targets homeless
Speed Read It will now be easier for states and cities to remove homeless people from the streets
-
Columbia pays $200M to settle with White House
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the school of failing to protect its Jewish students amid pro-Palestinian protests
-
Florida judge and DOJ make Epstein trouble for Trump
Speed Read The Trump administration's request to release grand jury transcripts from the Epstein investigation was denied
-
Trump attacks Obama as Epstein furor mounts
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the Obama administration of 'treasonous' behavior during the 2016 election
-
Trump administration releases MLK files
Speed Read Newly released documents on the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did not hold any new revelations, King historians said
-
Japan's prime minister feels pressure after election losses
Speed Read Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to remain in office