Couldn’t Obama just close the place?

"By Jim Miklaszewski and Becky Bratu, NBC News

“The United States intends to transfer two additional detainees from Guantanamo Bay to Algeria as part of its effort to close the military prison in Cuba, the White House said Friday in a statement.

"’We are taking this step in consultation with the Congress, and in a responsible manner that protects our national security,’ the statement from White House spokesman Jay Carney read. ‘We continue to call on Congress to join us in supporting these efforts by lifting the current restrictions that significantly limit our ability to transfer detainees out of Guantanamo, even those who have been
approved for transfer.’"

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/26/19701294-white-house-seeks-transfer-for-2-gitmo-detainees-to-algeria?lite=

(Obama could have closed the place, but political reality checked his running-for-office statements that closing Guantanamo prison was of the highest priority. Then in 2011, Congress stepped in and “began restricting transfers out, saying the Defense Department first had to certify a number of things, including that the destination country was not a state sponsor of terrorism and would take
action to make sure the individual would not threaten the United States.”

(So for two years Obama did nothing, and then Congress gave him an out. Now, though, it’s back to Blame Congress.

(Why two releases now and shots at Congress? Maybe because “legal restrictions on transfers” expire Sept. 30? If Congress does not renew restrictions, Obama has no rug left, and will have to decide which decision will cost him the fewest political points, or as is paramount in Obamaland, which
decision will make him look the lesser bad.

(Jay Carney takes a cheap shot with his “calling on Congress” to lift “the current restrictions,” since those restrictions end in two months. Then, too, Obama’s people might just be trying to get ahead of the curve when arguments begin.)

http://news.yahoo.com/options-does-obama-close-guantanamo-051759170.html