Gitmo Closure Deemed Essential

Closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, Cuba, would be the single most significant step the U.S. could take in the fight against terrorism, many military and civilian leaders in the Pentagon believe. President Obama believes that keeping Gitmo open “weakens our national security by damaging our relationships with key allies and partners, draining resources and providing violent extremists with a propaganda tool,” Paul M. Lewis, the State Department’s special envoy for closure of the facility, told lawmakers during a March 23 hearing on Capitol Hill.