Lost in Gauntanamo....

Before we even took a breath following the inauguration of our new President, the photos of numerous well decorated generals surrounding Obama as he signed the order closing Guantanamo and eliminating secret CIA prisons were plastered on every newspaper and website, a drastic reminder of the sweeping change facing former President Bush’s controversial policies. The event gave clear indication to a hungry nation that the new commander-in-chief would stand by his campaign promises, at least in this area, and gave weight to the incessant fundraising emails we continually receive from the Democratic Party.
However, closing the location where torture was performed will do little to end its occurrence. Simply shipping the prisoners overseas avoids a nightmarish public relations issue, and allows the old interrogation methods to continue unabated without the watchful eye of the general public. Many countries we consider allies have little to no guidelines on the use of torture, and do not face enough political pressure for that to change. Simply sending our dirty work overseas may work well politically in the short term, but in actuality falls well short of eliminating the issue. Closing GitMo is nothing short of a public relations ploy unless accompanied with a drastic overhaul, and specific consequences to those nations that fail to abide by them.
And what of the information we already have, much of which has been garnered by the use of illegal torture? Can this information be used at trial? If not, what becomes of the prisoner that cannot be convicted that has obvious yet unsubmittable evidence against him? Is he now free to walk the streets, or simply shipped back to become 2nd in charge at a Yemen terrorist camp?
An issue facing the Obama administration is to develop an intricate balance needed between the desire for increased transparency and the need for ambiguity in laying out what will be considered both legal and illegal in the acquisition of intelligence from prisoners. A step-by-step how-to manual will allow the enemy to prepare its members for the tactics that would be used, making it highly unlikely that they would ever be truly effective. However, not disclosing this would be seen as a return to the bush secrecy of the last eight years, opening the administration to immense criticism from both sides of the issue.
Certainly, the hands of the President are full. The issue of Guantanamo Bay is far from over, the executive order signed last week just the tip of the iceberg. It was a strong gesture, not only here but abroad, but lacks any significant weight without a real policy to back it up.