Zapatero, Obama discuss closing Guantanamo

October 4th, 2009 Obama aide hopes Gitmo closing deadline can be metWASHINGTON — The White House's national security adviser says the Obama administration is hard at work on fulfilling President Barack Obama's deadline to shut down the Guantanamo detention center for suspected terrorists. But James Jones also says that meeting Obama's deadline to close the facility by Jan.

September 30th, 2009 Gates: Closing Gitmo more complicated than thoughtWASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert Gates says trying to close down the detention center at Guantanamo Bay has proved more complicated than anticipated. Gates says "it's going to be tough" for the president to meet his goal of shutting the prison in January.

September 25th, 2009 AP sources: Guantanamo may not close by JanuaryWASHINGTON — The White House is acknowledging for the first time that it might not be able to meet President Barack Obama's January deadline for closing the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay.

September 10th, 2009 DOD lawyer stops short of assuring Gitmo closingWASHINGTON — The Pentagon's top lawyer says the Obama administration remains committed to closing the Guantanamo Bay prison early next year but is stopping short of assuring it will happen. Pentagon general counsel Jeh Johnson on Thursday described the administration's struggle to follow legal and moral guidelines when dealing with terror detainees while protecting America from al-Qaida.

June 26th, 2009 Obama: Talks ongoing with Germany on closing GitmoWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says he and Chancellor Angela Merkel have not yet gotten down to a discussion of just how many Guantanamo detainees might be sent to Germany. Merkel agreed with that, answering a question Friday at a joint news conference the two had at the White House amid a day of bilateral talks.

June 18th, 2009 House rejects measure on Guantanamo closingWASHINGTON — The House has voted to deny the use of any federal money for the closing of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay next year and to impose restrictions on the transfer of detainees to the United States. But House members, in a narrow vote Thursday, defeated a Republican amendment to a 2010 spending bill that would have imposed a more blanket prohibition on the use of any funds related to closing the facility.

June 17th, 2009 MADRID - The US has asked Spain to take four detainees from its Guantanamo prison camp when it is closed next year, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said Wednesday. Moratinos spoke in Madrid after Spanish government representatives met Daniel Fried, the US special envoy for closing Guantanamo.

June 15th, 2009 EU agrees to take Guantanamo detaineesLUXEMBOURG — The European Union agreed on Monday to help the administration of President Barack Obama "turn the page" on Guantanamo, saying individual EU nations will take detainees from the American prison in Cuba. The EU and the U.S.

June 12th, 2009 Obama won't rule out releasing detainees in USWASHINGTON — A White House spokesman says the Obama administration hasn't decided whether or not to release Guantanamo Bay detainees in the United States. Spokesman Robert Gibbs said President Barack Obama has made clear "we're not going to make any decision about transfer or release that threatens the security of this country." Asked if that meant he was ruling out releasing any detainees in the United States, Gibbs said: "I'm not ruling it in or ruling it out." A tentative plan to release some Guantanamo detainees in the United States drew fierce opposition from Republicans and many Democrats in Congress, forcing the Obama administration to shelve the plan to bring some Chinese Muslims known as Uighurs to Virginia.

May 10th, 2009 Cheney derides idea of closing Guantanamo prisonWASHINGTON — Former Vice President Dick Cheney says transferring suspected terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to the United States would be a bad idea. The Obama administration has pledged to close the military prison in Cuba and raised the possibility of transferring some inmates to this country.

May 9th, 2009 GOP: Closing Guantanamo prison threatens securityWASHINGTON — Republicans say the White House plan to close the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay "is a dangerous case of putting symbolism over security." President Barack Obama needs to tell the public where the suspected terrorists will go after the facility in Cuba is shuttered, Missouri Sen.

May 8th, 2009 Holder: Terrorists won't be set freeWASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric Holder says the United States will not release anyone considered a terrorist into the country. Holder was testifying Thursday at a Senate hearing.

January 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama Thursday signed an executive order to close the Guantanamo prison within one year.

January 20th, 2009 MADRID - The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the US 'opens an opportunity that we will not squander,' Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has said. Zapatero described Obama's inaugural address as 'very positive', EFE news agency reported, citing aides to the Socialist premier.

January 11th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US president-elect Barack Obama Sunday said that it is challenging to close down the Guantanamo prison in Cuba soon after his inauguration Jan 20. 'I think it's going to take sometime.