What exactly did BO's executive orders say?

Obama had big public meetings to announce that he is closing GITMO and changing interrogation techniques.

A bit later, we learn that there is a "but" in the details.

John Hinderaker, one of the 3 attorney who run The Power Line, has a nice post about the Obama double talk:

"Today Barack Obama issued an entirely symbolic executive order, directing that the terrorist detainee facility at Guantanamo Bay be closed within one year.

Gitmo, of course, was created in answer to the question, What are we going to do with captured terrorists?

Now, with that facility slated for closure, the question arises once more." (Symbolism Only Goes So Far)

JOSH GERSTEIN adds his thoughts:

"There may be less than meets the eye to the executive orders President Obama issued yesterday to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay and prohibit the torture of prisoners in American custody.

Those pronouncements may sound dramatic and unequivocal, but experts predict that American policy towards detainees could remain for months or even years pretty close to what it was as President Bush left office."

Closing GITMO is the easy part, as the Obama White House will learn.

What are we going to do with these people?

Now, that's the question!

As of today, I have not heard anything from the GITMO critics regarding a resolution about the dangerous people down there.

On interrogation techniques, Pres BO made another symbolic decision yesterday.

He told the world that we are not going to torture anymore.

First of all, such an executive order is an insult to the integrity and patriotism of the men and women who are fighting this war.

It's an insult to the soldier who volunteers to put his life on the line.

It's also an insult to everyone serving in GITMO.

It's a cheap shot against the Bush administration, which by the way kept us free of an attack for 2700 days!

Let's see if Pres Obama can keep that streak going!

BO's executive orders were naturally met with praise from European capitals and other "enlightened" places.

Unfortunately, the executive orders were not met with commitments of sending troops to the NATO mission in Afghanistan or a willingness to take any of the 250 terrorists in GITMO.

I guess that the Euros want "multilateralism" to fight the war on terror, as long as they don't have to send troops or take some of the terrorists captured in the battlefield.

Don't you love that?

Of course, we know why they can't take one of these guys.

Can you imagine France taking any of them?

Can you envision thousands of cars burning in Paris the next day?

Just ask them: Can you guys burn cars? "Yes we can"!

However, there is a "but" in the interrogation executive order, too.

The WSJ editorial goes to the heart of the matter: Obama's executive order wants it both ways on interrogation!

What's going on?

Pres BO is caught between the angry left and the reality that he owns the next attack.

Let me say it again: Pres BO will own the next attack.

He will get "the why didn't we connect the dots" questions.

It won't be pretty but he will own the next attack!

My position is that the US should not routinely torture anyone.

However, the president should have the authority to order various interrogation techniques in the event of a national security emergency.

What else do we elect a president for but to protect the homeland?

Let me paraphrase a Supreme Court Justice from yesteryear: The US Constitution is not a suicide pact!

P.S. By the way, did you see this in The New York Times, of all places:

"The emergence of a former Guantánamo Bay detainee as the deputy leader of Al Qaeda’s Yemeni branch has underscored the potential complications in carrying out the executive order President Obama signed Thursday that the detention center be shut down within a year."

They want to kill us....don't they?

Gateway Pundit has a few more stories about GITMO alumni:

"At least 61 Gitmo detainees have returned to terrorism after their release;

Former Gitmo detainee Abdallah Salih al-Ajmi recently exploded in Iraq

Monhammed Nayim Farouq from Afghanistan, is named on a "most wanted" poster issued by the Defense Intelligence Agency.

He was released in July 2003 but quickly renewed his association with Taliban and al-Qaida members and has since become re-involved in anti-Coalition militant activity.

And, of course, there are the other terrorists who after leaving Club Gitmo went out and attacked the Russian pipeline, the Russian city of Nalchik, Pakistani forces, Morocco, etc."