Obama under fire over Guantanamo Bay

24 Jan 2012By Greg Dyett

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President Obama's failure to keep his promise to close the Guantanamo Bay facility has been criticised by many.

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When he took office three years ago, President Barack Obama promised to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention centre and halt military trials there within 12 months

 

Mr Obama planned to transfer some of the detainees to prisons on the US mainland, but his attempt was defeated by the Congress.

 

The failure to close the facility has been criticised by many, including United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay who says prisoners remain arbitarily detained on an indefinite basis in clear breach of international law.

 

Associated Professor Brendan O'Connor is with the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.

 

He told Greg Dyett that President Obama has used a number of strategies, including trying to convince Australia to accept some of the detainees.

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