Biden will try to close Guantanamo after ‘robust’ review
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will seek to close the prison on the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay following a review process, resuming a project begun under the Obama administration, the White House said Friday.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said it was the “intention” of the Biden administration to close the detention facility, something President Barack Obama pledged to do within a year shortly after he took office in January 2009.
Psaki gave no timeline, telling reporters that the formal review would be “robust” and would require the participation of officials from the Department of Defense, the Justice Department and other agencies who have not yet been appointed under the new administration.
“There are many players from different agencies who need to be part of this policy discussion about the steps forward,” she said.
Obama ran into intense domestic political opposition when he sought to close the detention center, a notorious symbol of the U.S. fight against terrorism. Biden may have more leeway now that there are only 40 prisoners left and Guantanamo draws much less public attention, though his announcement did draw some immediate criticism.
The U.S. opened the detention center in January 2002 to hold people suspected of ties to al-Qaida and the Taliban. It became a source of international criticism over the mistreatment of prisoners and the prolonged imprisonment of people without charge.
The announcement of a closure plan was not unexpected. Biden had said as a candidate he supported closing the detention center. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said so as well in written testimony for his Senate confirmation.
“Guantanamo has provided us the capability to conduct law of war detention in order to keep our enemies off the battlefield, but I believe it is time for the detention facility at Guantanamo to close,” Austin said.
The 40 remaining prisoners at Guantanamo include five who were previously cleared for release through an intensive review process created under Obama as part of the effort to close the detention center and transfer the remaining prisoners to facilities in the U.S.
ATLANTA — Atlanta United has bolstered a week spot by signing defensive midfielder Santiago Sosa on a transfer from Argentina’s River Plate club.
The 21-year-old Sosa represented Argentina at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup and could be in line to play for his home country in the Tokyo Olympics.
Atlanta United announced the deal Friday.
Sosa has spent his entire professional career with River Plate, earning a promotion to the senior roster during the 2018-19 season. He made 14 appearances in 2020, including six games in the Copa Libertadores and six more in the Copa Diego Maradona.
The acquisition of Sosa figures to be a big part of United’s efforts to bounce back under new coach Gabriel Heinze after missing the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 2020.
In addition to its league schedule, the team is set to make its third straight appearance in the CONCACF Champions League. United will face Costa Rican club Alajuelense in the opening round April 7 and 14.
“Santiago is a holding midfielder who understands and reads the game exceptionally well for someone his age,” Atlanta technical director Carlos Bocanegra said in a statement. “He broke through into the first team at River last year, experiencing numerous big matches in both Copa Libertadores and the Copa Diego Maradona, in addition to his time with Argentina U-20s.”