#TBT: How Barack Obama Stood Up To Torture And Won

 

     Those who decry assaults on civil liberties conveniently ignore those that occur at the United States detention center at Gunatanamo Bay. While President Obama was unable to shut the place down as he had hoped, he did do more than anyone to curb its power.

     Immediately upon taking office, he placed a moratorium on the transfer of prisoners there. The notorious human rights abuses included holding people without charge and even torturous practices like waterboarding, which top military officials dismiss as ineffective, a stain on America's reputation, and a source of martyrdom and hatred for terrorists.

     President Obama later transferred approximately 150 prisoners away from the camp, or about 75% of those there. In the legislative front, he was able to ban the use of torture, which has remained in place. When President Biden takes office, he will have a decent chance at shutting it down permamently and keeping the nationwide ban on torture in place.