The White House announced today it is resuming military commission trials at the prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, ending a two-year ban imposed by President Obama the day after he took office.
In a written statement, Obama said he has also issued a new code for treatment of prisoners and that he reserves the right to try some accused terrorists in American federal courts.
His statement said nothing about closing the Guantanamo Bay facility, a campaign promise he has been unable to fulfill after more than two years in office. The new policies will "broaden our ability to bring terrorists to justice, provide oversight for our actions, and ensure the humane treatment of detainees," Obama said.
The new policies, including the resumption of military commissions, are subject to "periodic review," according to an executive order issued by Obama.
Obama's efforts to close Gitmo have hit several roadblocks, including the fact that other countries refuse to take detainees who are considered especially dangerous.
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