(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Adults in the United States are divided on their president’s decision to shut down the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 44 per cent of respondents agree with Barack Obama, while 42 per cent disagree.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Adults in the United States are divided on their president’s decision to shut down the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 44 per cent of respondents agree with Barack Obama, while 42 per cent disagree.
In May 2005, a 308-page report by the human rights watchdog Amnesty International criticized the U.S. government for its handling of prisoners in several detention centres, including one at Guantanamo Bay where about 400 "enemy combatants"—most of them from Afghanistan—were being held. Former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton have urged the federal administration to close the prison.
In American elections, candidates require 270 votes in the Electoral College to win the White House. In November 2008, Democratic nominee Barack Obama secured a majority of electoral votes, defeating Republican candidate John McCain. On Jan. 20, Obama became the first African American president in U.S. history, replacing Republican George W. Bush.
On Jan. 22, Obama ordered the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, declaring, "The message that we are sending around the world is that the United States intends to prosecute the ongoing struggle against violence and terrorism. We are going to do so vigilantly; we are going to do so effectively; and we are going to do so in a manner that is consistent with our values and our ideals."
Republican House minority leader John Boehner disagreed with the president, saying, "The key question is where do you put these terrorists? Do you bring them inside our borders? Do you release them back into the battlefield? (…) As long as it is necessary to protect our national security interests, the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay should remain open."
Polling Data
Do you agree or disagree with U.S. president Barack Obama’s decision to close the Guantanamo prison camp for suspected terrorists?
|
Agree |
44% |
|
Disagree |
42% |
|
Not sure |
14% |
Source: Rasmussen Reports
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 likely American voters, conducted on Jan. 25 and Jan. 26, 2009. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
