Mamdouh Habib rejects Obama's plan to close Guantanamo Bay

Barack Obama's new plan to close the controversial Guantanamo Bay detention centre holds little weight with former detainee Mamdouh Habib.

Mamdouh Habib

Mamdouh Habib Source: AAP

Australian former Guantanamo Bay detainee Mamdouh Habib has told SBS he doesn't believe US President Barack Obama's moves to close the centre are genuine.

Mr Habib was held in the detention centre in Cuba for almost four years, between 2001 and 2005.

"I'm going to tell him again. I told him in 2011, you're a liar when you mention you're going to close Guantanamo Bay. I'm going to tell him now - 2016 - you are the biggest liar," Mr Habib said.

Mr Obama unveiled his road map to close the facility on Wednesday, but Mr Habib believes US authorities are “never" going to close it.

"He [isn't] even thinking to close one door of Guantanamo Bay, because he can’t afford it," Mr Habib said.

"Let him face me, face-to-face, and he tell me 'Habib, we're going to close Guantanamo Bay'."

Mr Habib was arrested by US authorities in 2001 in Pakistan. He was released without charge in 2005.

He said investigations into the facility needed to take place.
"The investigations have to be done by us, by people who have been there, we know every single part of Guantanamo.. there are too many secret places in Guantanamo Bay," he said.

“Too many different places they use for torture, they have women, they have kids, they have new-born babies. It has to be investigated by honest people. I would love to investigate Guantanamo Bay and I would point my finger at every crime and every murder."

US Republican candidates Ted Cruz, Donald Trump and Marco Rubio have spoken out against Mr Obama's plan to close the centre.

Watch an extended interview with Mamdouh Habib:



 

 


Share
2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: SBS News


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world