Holder repeats that Gitmo will be closed

Posted: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:09 PM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: White House, Security

From NBC's Pete Williams
Attorney General Eric Holder says that despite the pushback from Congress, he believes the administration will achieve its goal of closing down the Guantanamo Bay detention facility by next January.

"We will be working with Congress to ensure ways that we can reach that goal. I'm confident that we'll be able to do it," he said today at a news conference on health-care fraud.

Asked about FBI Director Robert Mueller's statement today that the Gitmo detainees could pose a threat, even if held in a high-security U.S. prison, Holder said: "I've made consistently clear is that we're not going to do anything that's going to put the American people at risk."

But he said Mueller's concerns will be "taken into account in formulating the plan that we will ultimately use."

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Comments

Sure Eric. You going to pay for the closing of Gitmo out of your own pocket? And btw Eric, did you ever get back to the good congressman's question about what part you played in coming up with interrogation techniques during your time in the Clinton administration?

JBand (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:14 PM)

Apparently no one told Eric that congress didn't fund his little closing.

No Plan, No Cash (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:15 PM)

Bad Chihuahua (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:15 PM)

Harry Reid says no terrorist in Gitmo will ever set foot in the US Mr. Holder. So, just what do you intend to do with them after you close shop down in Cuba?

KE House, Cleveland (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:16 PM)

The Obama administration is really digging a nice hole for themselves over this little problem.

Dollars to doughnuts says Gitmo stays open for a long, long time.

Frankie Winters, Indiana (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:18 PM)

That's one thing about Holder, he never seems to give up. Even though he's been soundly defeated nine ways to Sunday on the Gitmo issue, he still stands in there looking like a fool trying to defend himself.

Janice, Alabama (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:20 PM)

But he said Mueller's concerns will be "taken into account in formulating the plan that we will ultimately use."

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Mr. Mueller, voice your concerns, then tell us how to fix them if Guantanemo is closed. You are the FBI Director because you can solve problems.

Keeping Guantanemo open is not an option.

Patriot Midwest U.S.A. (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:20 PM)

Did anyone ask Holder just when the miracle occurs to make this all happen?

When You Wish Upon A Star (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:22 PM)

It will take some time to figure out where to put all the people there. I suggest that they be put into an Super Max prison. There will be little chance of them escaping or foaming revolt with other prisnors.

S.B. Stein E.B. NJ (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:22 PM)

Now Arlen Specter has joined the fray and he supports Pelosi while at the same time saying the CIA is a bunch of liars. I guess the Democrats are trying to see how many of their members can get on a sinking ship.

Bottoms Up (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:25 PM)

The sooner we close the Bush torture facilities the better it will be for our armed forces.

Deferement Dick (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:25 PM)

You can tell physically because the white stripe runs down the middle of his back.
Bad Chihuahua (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:15 PM)
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Better than the YELLOW one that runs down yours!

Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:34 PM)

Bottoms Up (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:25 PM)
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That's exactly where your party of the GEENOPEE is these days!

Don't you ever get tired of bending over & grabbing your ankles?

Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:37 PM)

Thank you AG Holder and I m most grateful for the prosecution of the Health Care fraud case against Wythe Pharmaceuticals.
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Feds accuse Wyeth of cheating Medicaid ... lawyer who engineered the scheme to the State Bar and other agencies for prosecution.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30394626/

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This tax payer thanks you!Now don't forget to audit the State's records.

Ms. Anita, Birmingham, Alabama (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:42 PM)

To Ed Shultz of the Ed Show---

Can't wait to see you Smackdown Ron Paul!

and.....AG Holder will do his part to close that tortureous place called Gitmo! I only hope he is also going after those who tortured!

Ed, San Antonio (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:42 PM)

Yes, Holder Gitmo will close as soon as you come up with a plan on where the detainees will go and how much it will cost. You do that and you'll have enough votes to get the money and then everyone will know what to expect because of your plan.

The quicker the better. We don't need more recruiting for Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

eagle1776 (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:45 PM)

Feisty Redhead/MSierra (earlier thread)

Nothing slipped out. Now you clowns are denying that the Obama-llama is half black and half white.

You can tell physically because the white stripe runs down the middle of his back.
Bad Chihuahua

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These are the kind of statements that I find absolutely offensive and insulting...keep it up you are about to cross that thin line.

There are a lot of us out here that are of mixed race.Truth be told you just might be one of us and don't know it. Better check with yor mother.

Ms. Anita, Birmingham, Alabama (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:50 PM)

Strange how we were able to house thousands of Nazi (including SS) POWs in WWII, but we can't figure out to handle these guys? C'mon!

Ol'Lefty (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:50 PM)

Bringing the terrorists to the mainland is the worst possible outcome to this situation. We have seen how suicidal most of these nutcase, extremist muslims are and we have proof of what they are willing to do in their quest to destroy the 'big satan". We cannot listen to the childish rants from the left about Gitmo because it is the ideal place to keep these guys even if they rot there. Gitmo is assault proof from both the sea and land. If we bring these prisoners to the mainland we will most assuredly invite spectacular, violent , hostage taking attacks on the civlians in towns that contain Fed prisons that hold terrorists. These attacks by terrorists will have the aim of negotiating the release of the terrorists in exchange for innocent american hostages lives. If Obama, Holder and the fools on the left are willing to risk this in the name of "justice for terrorists" what else would they risk to prove themselves right? I think Pelosi, Reid are starting to see the light. If the above scenario plays out the US will have every right to demand payback from Obama, Holder and the fools on the left.

Paul (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:50 PM)

We need to make sure that the brain dead ‘Bad Chihuahua’ and John Boner never end up in the same room together… things could get ‘ugly’ real fast! Grrrrrr!

Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 5:01 PM)

FR: Bad Chihuahua should be banned from this site for hostile and racist statements. While many of us put up with these for a while, he/she went way too far today. Please consider banning this poster.

LB, Virginia (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 5:02 PM)

Has NO ONE seen JON STEWART on this? List who is in our Max. Security prisons now, by state and be amazed. And suspected terrorists can't be handled??
Manson is well under wraps. We can do this.

I say, build the first Fed. prison in ALASKA and send them to PALIN. If they escape, they're in the middle of bum-frig NOWHERE. And think of all those JOBS! Aren't the Repubs. the LAW and ORDER party??

Deborah Greenlawn, NY (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 5:03 PM)

Deferement Dick calls them "Bush torture facilities". And this is the kind of raw emotion and hatred which the Obama campaign took advantage of to win the election. But now reality is here. Associating Gitmo with Bush and inspiring more Bush hatred won't answer the serious questions of what to do with American hating terrorists who are potentially still a threat to our nation. Obama and team need to stop running a campaign and seeking to appease their radical followers, and begin digging in now. And maybe they need to say "We were wrong" and keep Gitmo open for much longer. I know the President is good at apologizing for America to our hostile nations, but will he apologize if he realizes that he can't keep another campaign promise now that he's actually looked at the facts and real situation for why we use it?????

It's no longer a campaign to win --but a real issue to solve (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 5:04 PM)

here's an idea.. try them all in according to USA standards of constitutional due process, with particular reference to prompt trials and the presumption of innocence. Then hang the guilty ones and SEND THE OTHERS HOME!!. If you do it that way, we won't need much hanging rope or prison cells because we can't prove their guilt with the screwed up, made up, obtained-by-torture so-called evidence.

Robert, Beckley, WV (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 5:05 PM)

Sorry, I just don't get it, I thought the public wanted to close the embarrassment of Gitmo. If we can keep Manson safe for 30+ years, why can't we keep ourselves safe for these guys. I'm so sick of the GOP trying to justify their moral abuses.

Kathy (Sent Wednesday, May 20, 2009 5:14 PM)

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