ACLU’s Romero on Closing GTMO On Day One

Anthony Romero, executive director of the ACLU, read The Associated Press’ story about President-elect Barack Obama possibly ordering the military to plan the closure of Guantanamo Bay as one of his first acts in office and emailed this to reporters:

“While the news from unnamed sources in the Obama transition team about the closing of Guantánamo is certainly welcome, what we need are specifics about the timeline for the shuttering of the military commissions and the release or charging of detainees who have been indefinitely held for years. Executive orders are an important first step. But we trust that President-elect Obama will provide a detailed plan for ending the Guantánamo military commissions, shutting down the Guantánamo military prison and ending President Bush’s legacy of indefinite detention. An executive order lacking such detail, especially after the transition team has had months to develop a comprehensive plan on an issue this important, would be insufficient. What we need is an executive order that is less about rhetoric and more about a detailed plan – and we’re hoping that that is what President-elect Obama has planned for January 20.”