“Gitmo” Again

On the second day of his presidency, January 22nd, Barack Obama solemnly signed an executive order to close the Guantanamo base, the devastating symbol of George Bush’s presidency since 2002. “Once again, America’s moral example must be the bedrock and the beacon of our global leadership,” the new American president decreed before specifying that this closure would take place after a year.

Will this commitment hold up? Nothing is less sure. While there are still 223 prisoners at the American base in Cuba, the legal complexity of the case, the equivocations of the Obama administration and the committed guerrillas, otherwise known as the Republicans, in Congress weigh down serious concerns.

It is also true that the Europeans have hardly helped Mr. Obama in this case. In December 2008, Paris, Berlin and other capitals were committed to helping close Guantanamo, and to welcoming freed prisoners and those never convicted. For several years, alleged terrorists have been detained without the American legal system issuing sufficient charges against them. In some cases, any evidence that could have been used has been tainted because it was obtained under torture. In addition, these prisoners could not be repatriated to their countries of origin without danger to their safety.

It was a good demonstration of solidarity towards the young American president in the name of the ideals of the European Union. But the Europeans are further divided. A third side dislikes how the debate of taking in detainees never discusses the scandal of the CIA’s secret sites, which several states have became embroiled with and have never admitted their involvement.

A reduced number of ex-detainees will be welcomed on the condition that the United States grant legal residence to its former prisoners and that they commit to respecting shared values in the anti-terrorist fight. These principals must be stated in a joint statement that hasn’t yet seen the light of day.

From the two sides of the Atlantic, each has thus underestimated the difficulty of this toxic case. But this is not a reason to give up. The Europeans have a duty to honor their commitments, even increase them if they don’t want to appear weak-willed or soft.