Military Tribunals resumed

"As President, I will close Guantanamo and reject the Military Commission Act". This was Obama's unadorned promise on the campaign trail. Indeed, in his first days in the White House, Obama signed an Executive Order to close Guantanamo within a year and suspend the military tribunals for 120 days.

Four months later, the complex realities of handling the 241 remaining Guantanamo prisoners have given Obama a nasty reality check. In a very hush hush meeting at the White House Situation Room, on Thursday, it became clear that the administration could not find an alternative to the military tribunals and, on Friday, administration officials announced they were resuming trials of suspected terrorists by military commissions.

While this is happening, the planned closure of Guantanamo is facing mounting opposition on both sides of the aisle in Congress. The issue if resettling some of these suspected terrorist is raising grave concerns across the country as articulated by State and Federal lawmakers.

"By releasing trained terrorists into civilian communities in the United States the administration will, by definition, endanger the American people," warned Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell. Obama's own party is not cooperating either. Democrats recently stripped out of the military budget bill $94 million earmarked for relocation of Guantanamo prisoners, telling the president they will reconsider when he puts a concrete plan on the table. Senator Max Baucus, a senior Democrat, said: "We are not going to bring Al Qaeda to Big Sky County. No way! Not on my watch!"

At issue are approximately 80 Guantanamo prisoners that can be released but no country has agreed to take them.

Well, Mr. Obama, you showed that you have the courage to reverse your policies when faced with reality. There are many more unrealistic policies on your agenda and we hope that you will be man enough to change them too.

Do not close Guantanamo! We don't want these people to endanger our families or our troops on Iraq and Afghanistan!