Obama plans to release 19 more Guantanamo Bay detainees before he leaves office.
Why do you think he’s waited until the last month of his presidency to do so?
The White House on Tuesday pledged to move ahead with the transfer of 19 detainees out of the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, rejecting President-elect Donald Trump’s demand for a freeze.
With President Barack Obama set to leave office on 20 January, White House spokesman Josh Earnest put Trump on notice that more inmates would be moved.
“I would expect, at this point, additional transfers,” he said.
There are 59 prisoners remaining at the controversial detention centre, only a handful of whom have started moving through the military tribunals, including the alleged plotters of the 9/11 attacks.
Most of the others are in legal limbo. The US has deemed them too dangerous to release, but has failed to acquire enough evidence for court, making them indefinitely detained.
Earnest’s comments come just hours after Trump said Guantanamo Bay should remain open.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/816333480409833472Via Middle East Eye