Obama Orders Detention Facility at Guantanamo Closed

Moving to make good on one of his key campaign pledges, President Obama this morning signed a series of executive orders to close the detention facility at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The orders, signed at a West Wing ceremony, specify the closure should occur within 12 months. Obama is also ending what the new administration believes are harsh interrogation techniques used previously. Obama has said the United States will fight terrorism "in a manner consistent with our values and ideals."

The timetable means the clock is ticking on figuring out just what to do with the 245 detainees being held at Gitmo. Among them: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

A senior administration official says detainees will eventually be classified into various groups, ranging from those who could be released, to those who cannot. The official said that some detainees could still be "in detention for years," but added "but not without due process."

Among the options at the administration's disposal for detainees: repatriation to their home country or a willing third country, civil trials in the U.S., or a special civil or military process. The official told reporters that prisoners would be released or transferred on a rolling basis, based on how their individual cases are determined.

The administration is now in contact with foreign governments to take detainees who may be released at a future date. The official said detainees would not be sent to countries with a reputation for torturing prisoners; he did not say what countries were under consideration. No countries have stepped forward and volunteered to accept anyone to date; the official said "We hope some will help us."

Future interrogations of detainees will be done within the parameters of the Geneva Conventions, the official said, and will use only techniques listed in the Army Field Manual - a reference to waterboarding, which will be discontinued.

The administration's review process for detainees will be overseen by a high level committee comprised of the Attorney General, the Secretaries of Defense, State, Homeland Security, the Director of National Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

White House Briefing - Thursday, January 15

President Bush's farewell address to the nation tonight - his final public event until Inauguration Day - is being billed as a look back at his tenure and a look ahead at the challenges he says the United States will face.

The speech -- scheduled for 8:00 pm Eastern time -- will run 10 to 15 minutes and be delivered not from the Oval Office, but the East Room of the Executive Mansion. Bush has invited a small audience to join him, comprised, the White House says, of people chosen for their stories of personal courage.

Bush leaves office with one of the lowest approval ratings on record, and the president is now clearly focused on shaping his legacy. His farewell press conference Tuesday was a spirited defense of his handling of Hurricane Katrina, Iraq and the economy; tonight's address will undoubtedly feature more of the same.

Meantime, Republican strategist Ed Gillespie says Bush is in a good mood as the clock winds down.

"He's got a ton of energy, he's gotten winsome, I think, looking back at the last eight years," Gillespie said. "I wouldn't say he's emotional, but everyone here has gone through a lot together, and there's a great sense of appreciation for what everyone has done."

Like presidents before him, Bush plans to leave a private note in his Oval Office desk for Barack Obama. What will it say? Perino said Bush would probably write it Tuesday morning -- perhaps one of the last things he'll do as the 43d President of the United States.

Bush gives final press conference

As the January 20th exit date draws closer, George W. Bush gave his final press conference as President and took the opportunity to comment on his legacy, shortcomings, and the work that awaits President elect Barack Obama.

"Through it all, I have respected you," the President told the White House Press Corps, going on to joke that they had sometimes 'misunderestimated' him.

In regard to questions surrounding the remaining $350 billion of TARP funds, Bush explained that he is waiting for President-Elect Obama to ask for the TARP funds before sending the request to Congress.

When asked about the situation in Gaza, the President commented that he would like to see a two state solution and noted that in order for Israel to be successful, they would need a democracy along their border. On the subject of ending the conflict, Bush said that the responsibility lies with the Palestinians and that there can be no peace until Hamas stops firing rockets into Israel.

Bush stated that although there is a debate within the intelligence community, he believes North Korea is still a viable threat and capable of producing enriched Uranium.

The President commented on the future of his party, warning that the temptation may exist for Republicans to isolate themselves by looking inward and applying a litmus test to judge themselves by. Bush felt that the Republican party should try to be more broad minded and compassionate.

He stated that he was not sure why critics have been so harsh towards him and also denied the notion that America's moral standing had been diminished by his Presidency, saying that those allegations have been coming from elites in Western Europe and not from areas like Africa or Asia where U.S. influence matters most.

When questioned about preemptive pardons, the President refused to give a statement.

Bush acknowledged that there have been a number of mistakes and disappointments throughout his presidency, and cited the infamous "Mission Accomplished" banner, prisoner abuse in Abu Ghraib, and not finding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The President also regretted campaigning to alter Social Security so close after the 2004 election, saying that he should have focused on immigration reform instead.

One action that the President did not view as a mistake was the handling of Hurricane Katrina. Bush predicted that had he landed the plane in New Orleans or Baton Rogue, the diversion of police forces for his protection would have caused controversy as well. He also said that he felt it was unfair to call the response time slow, citing the 30,000 New Orleans residents who were rescued by helicopter after the storm hit.

Bush said that after his term, he expected to leave the spotlight, although he admitted that as a 'Type-A' personality, that was unlikely.

One glaring omission from the conference was an attempted question by veteran White House reporter Helen Thomas. Although having her hand raised for the final question, the President did not choose her.

Today at Talk Radio News

White House Correspondent Lovisa Frost will attend today's White House briefing. Pentagon Correspondent Dawn Casey will cover a briefing live from Iraq by Army Col. John Hort, commander of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

The Washington Bureau will also be covering The American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten's address on "After the Election: Making the Right Choices for Education and the Economy," an event held by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to announce an energy transition plan for President-elect Obama, an address by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) on "Energy Priorities for the Next Congress," and the Senate Finance Committee's hearing on the nomination of Neil Barofsky, assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York, to be Special Inspector General of the Troubled Assets Relief Program.

President-Elect Obama: We need to think pratically about moving ahead with the economy

President-Elect Obama held a press conference, addressing the failing economy and his plans once in the White House on Jan. 20th. "Immediately after I become President, I will confront this economic crisis head-on by taking all necessary steps to ease the credit crisis, help hardworking families, and restore growth and prosperity," Obama said.

Obama said that one of the first things his administration needs to do will be to implement a rescue plan for the middle class that invests in immediate efforts to create jobs and provides relief to families that are watching their paychecks shrink. "A urgent priority is a further extension of unemployment insurance benefits for workers who cannot find work in the increasingly weak economy," Obama stated.

The second thing the President-Elect said needs to be done is to address the spreading impact of the financial crisis on other sectors of the economy; Small businesses that are struggling and state and municipal governments facing devastating budget cuts and tax increases, "We must also remember that the financial crisis is increasingly global and requires a global response," Obama said.

The last thing the new administration will need to do is to review the implementation of the previous administration's financial program to ensure that our government's efforts are achieving their central goal of stabilizing financial markets while protecting taxpayers. "It is critical that the Treasury Department work closely with the FDIC, Housing and Urban Development and other government agencies to use the substantial authority they already have to help families avoid foreclosures and stay in their homes," President Elect stated.