Exclusive: Obama White House Threatens to veto 2013 NDAA if Gitmo is not closed

Marinka Peschmann:

There’s a showdown happening in Washington and it could get very ugly soon. Will President Barack Obama’s first-term promise to close down Guantánamo Bay and bring Gitmo detainees to the U.S become a reality or will the Republicans with the support of some Democrats block the Obama administration again?

Late last night the Senate passed a measure introduced by Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) preventing terrorist detainees from being transferred from the U.S. prison in Guantánamo to U.S. soil.

However, earlier yesterday the White House started circulating a Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) warning that President Obama would veto the renewal of the pending 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) if Guantánamo transfer and funding restrictions were not removed. The SAP also warned the Senate not to add any new detention provisions.

The National Defense Authorization Act is legislation which provides budget authority to the Department of Defense and to the Department of Energy’s national security programs.

In a nation already divided, the divide is about to become even sharper. Who will win this battle that effects national security and potentially the safety of Americans at home?

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