White House and Cuba Reach Haiti Rescue Agreement

The global response to the Haitian earthquake crisis has inspired a rare diplomatic agreement between the United States and Cuba -- over flight rights for rescue efforts.

The U.S. needed Cuban help because its base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -- yes, the sight of the much-disputed terrorism prison camp -- is also a medical facility for victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

This morning the White House announced: "We have coordinated with the Cuban government for authorization to fly medical evacuation flights from the U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to Miami, through Cuban airspace, cutting 90 minutes off one-way flight time." USA Today

The White House is working with France, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and others to help Haiti.
Obama got to speak to Haiti's president this morning:

"President Obama spoke for roughly thirty minutes with President Preval of Haiti this morning. President Obama said that the world has been devastated by the loss and suffering in Haiti, and pledged the full support of the American people for the government and people of Haiti as it relates to both the immediate recovery effort, and the long-term rebuilding effort. President Preval said that he has been touched by the friendship of the American people, and expressed his condolences for the loss of American citizens in Haiti. He said that the needs are great, that relief is now flowing in to the people of Haiti, and noted the support that has come from both America and many other countries from the region and around the world. The two Presidents underscored the need to closely coordinate assistance efforts among the various parties, including the Haitian government, the United Nations, the United States and the many international partners and aid organizations on the ground. President Obama underscored his commitment to supporting the government and people of Haiti through his team on the ground. President Preval closed by passing a message to the American people, 'from the bottom of my heart and on behalf of the Haitian people, thank you, thank you, thank you.'" Politico

No New Detainees to Yemen But Gitmo Still to Close

Gibbs says detainees at Guantanamo Bay will not go to Yemen for the time being: "While we remain committed to closing the facility ... we will not move additional people into Yemen right now," he says. Politico

Meanwhile, the U.S. embassy in Yemen has reopened.

The Reason for Cheney's Silence Amid Terror News?

I was wondering today why Dick was so quiet. Sarah Palin too. But she's on a book tour.

Perhaps this is why we've heard nary a peep from Dick. The Bush administration let go the very terrorists alleged to be behind the underwear bomb plot. The terrorists were released in 2007 in Saudi Arabia for some art therapy. People don't realize, especially the wingnuts, that Bush-Cheney let go hundreds, 270 to be exact, of suspected terrorists from Gitmo. I don't think we should be pointing fingers, because there's plenty of blame to go around, but republicans ought to be working with the Obama administration, not piling on. If there's one place where politics doesn't belong, it's in national security:

Two of the four leaders allegedly behind the al Qaeda plot to blow up a Northwest Airlines passenger jet over Detroit were released by the U.S. from the Guantanamo prison in November, 2007, according to American officials and Department of Defense documents. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the Northwest bombing in a Monday statement that vowed more attacks on Americans.

American officials agreed to send the two terrorists from Guantanamo to Saudi Arabia where they entered into an "art therapy rehabilitation program" and were set free, according to U.S. and Saudi officials. Read more at ABC

Rachel Maddow's show pretty much sums up the inanity coming from the GOP:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Update Dec. 31: Video of ABC's Brian Ross' correction. Only one of the Gitmo detainees was free to claim responsibility for the underwear bomb plot. The other had been captured:

Greg Craig is Out in Guantanamo Dispute

Bob Bauer, husband of Anita Dunn (who recently resigned with the Obama administration), is replacing Greg Craig as White House lawyer, over Gitmo. Craig was criticized for not handling the politics of closing Gitmo very well. Bauer is seen as more politically savvy, according to Chuck Todd. See Craig's resignation letter here.

Here's an update--Gibbs disputes the dispute:

Said Gibbs: "The president sees Greg as a friend and trusted adviser and someone whose contributions to this administration are lengthy, particularly in setting up a process that will result in the [closure] of Guantanamo Bay. [Craig] was instrumental in both picking [and] nominating … the first Latina Supreme Court justice, in Sonya Sotomayor, in running a big operation in the White House, in helping to shepherd judicial picks in general – not just the selection, but through the committee process on Capitol Hill."

AP's Mark Smith asked: "To be clear, Craig is NOT leaving because the president is dissatisfied in any way with his handling of Guantanamo?"

"That's correct," Gibbs replied. Politico

Meanwhile, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind in 9-11 attacks, will be prosecuted in New York City with a civilian trial.

The White House's top lawyer is announcing his resignation on Friday, senior administration officials said.

White House counsel Greg Craig has been the subject of questions about his future since late summer, dogged by talk that President Obama's promise to close the controversial Guantanamo Bay military prison by January went awry under Craig's leadership.

Craig also oversaw the president's revamping of U.S. policy on terrorism interrogations and detentions, including a ban on torture, and was at the center of administration moves to release many documents relating to the treatment of terror suspects under the Bush administration — and to oppose the release of photos of abuse of detainees overseas by U.S. personnel. All those decisions earned Obama considerable criticism, some from the right and some from the left. More at NPR

Obama's statement:

The White House today announced today that White House Counsel Greg Craig will return to private practice and Bob Bauer will serve as White House Counsel.

“Greg Craig is a close friend and trusted advisor who tackled many tough challenges as White House Counsel,” said President Obama. “Because of Greg’s leadership, we have confirmed the first Latina justice on the Supreme Court, set the toughest ethics standards for any administration in history, and ensured that we are keeping the nation secure in a manner that is consistent with our laws and our values. I’m indebted to Greg not only for leading the Counsel’s office but for his many decades of service to this country as well. He has been a huge asset in the White House, and he will be missed. I will continue to call on him for advice in the years ahead.”

Bauer is currently a partner at Perkins Coie. He will begin serving as White House Counsel by the end of this year.

“Bob has served as a trusted counselor for many years to many elected officials and is known as a tough and widely respected advocate,” said President Obama. “Bob is well-positioned to lead the Counsel’s office as it addresses a wide variety of responsibilities, including managing the large amount of litigation the administration inherited, identifying judicial nominees for the federal courts, and assuring that White House officials continue to be held to the highest legal and ethical standards.”

Attached is a letter from Greg Craig to the President.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Feinstein Says Detainees Can Be Safely Secured

Sen. Dianne Feinstein said she voted against funding of the closure of Guantanamo because it was a trap (read- politics). She was afraid the democrats would be billed as the bad guys letting terrorists run wild in U.S. neighborhoods. Wimps. Again, our leaders thinking we're all a bunch of dummies out here. We know better. But she says she believes that detainees can be held safely in U.S. prisons. 
Anyone afraid of a terrorist in a U.S. prison ought to get a grip and check out the number of sexual predators hanging out in their neighborhoods. There are scarier people out there. Bush-Cheney put terrorists on a pedestal. Terrorists are cowards.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Axelrod on Guantanamo's Legal Challenges

David Axelrod says Cheney's motivation is defending his administration. Axelrod is asked if Obama has ever called Cheney. HELLO. Why would he do that?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Gibbs On Senate's Blocking on Gitmo Closure Funding

Gibbs says Obama's going to carry on. Today the media played it up as a major set back. The journalist tries to play gotcha, asking if it was a mistake to announce the closure of Guantanamo without the details. 
Gibbs: It was a mistake to set up something that became a rallying cry for enemies around the world.

Matthew Olsen To Lead Guantanamo Detainee Review Task Force

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced the appointment of an Executive Director to lead a new interagency task force charged with continued implementation of the President’s Jan. 22 Executive Order calling for an immediate review of the status of individuals currently detained at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.

The Executive Director, Matthew G. Olsen, will lead the Guantanamo Detainee Review Task Force, which is responsible for assembling and examining relevant information and making recommendations regarding the proper disposition of each individual currently detained at Guantanamo Bay.

In accordance with the President’s Order, the Task Force will consider whether it is possible to transfer or release detained individuals consistent with the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States; evaluate whether the government should seek to prosecute detained individuals for crimes they may have committed; and, if none of those options are possible, the Task Force will recommend other lawful means for disposition of the detained individuals.

The Order provides that the Attorney General shall coordinate this review in conjunction with the Secretaries of Defense, State, and Homeland Security, the Director of National Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in order for the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay to be closed within one year from the date of the Executive Order.

"As a leader of the Department’s National Security Division and 12-year career federal prosecutor, Mr. Olsen has the experience and judgment to lead the team’s evaluation of these individual cases," said Attorney General Holder. "We’ve established a solid framework for the administration to make the right decision on each individual detainee -- decisions that will most effectively serve the interests of justice and the national security and foreign policy objectives of the United States."

As Executive Director for the detention review process, Mr. Olsen will be responsible for managing the consideration and disposition of individual detainee cases as set forth in the President’s Order. He will supervise review teams consisting of representatives from the Justice Department and the other agencies identified in the President’s Order.

These multi-agency teams will conduct the specific detainee reviews and develop options and recommendations for the Executive Director to present to a Review Panel consisting of senior-level officials from each of the relevant Departments and agencies who are authorized to make decisions as to the disposition of each detainee. Review Panel members will be responsible for ensuring that each department or agency devotes the necessary resources so that the Task Force can conduct this review and enable closure of the facility within the one-year time frame required under the Executive Order.

Until his appointment today, Mr. Olsen served as the Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security, where he managed the Justice Department’s National Security Division. Previously, as Deputy Assistant Attorney General, he helped establish the National Security Division in 2006 and supervised the Department’s intelligence operations and oversight. WH

Joe Biden Speaks in Germany of Better International Relations

Vice President Joe Biden is trying to get more help from Europe for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
On Iran, Obama is likely to be holding behind the scenes quiet talk until he gets the stimulus bill going.

CNN: Biden told delegates at a security conference that the United States will work "preventively, not pre-emptively" whenever possible to avoid conflict, and will at the same time "vigorously defend" the nation's security.

He also said the United States will do everything possible to end the threat posed by extremists.

"We reject as false the choice between our safety and ideals," Biden told the Munich Security Conference audience, which included German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. "America will vigorously defend our security and our values, and in doing so we will all be more secure."

That policy will be in force at Guantanamo Bay detention camp, the U.S. prison that the Obama administration intends to close, Biden said.

Get caught up on your Russia, Afghanistan and Iran

Biden on Russia:

Obama ordered a strategic review of U.S. policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan and is soliciting input from allies, Biden said.

"We are sincere in seeking your counsel," Biden said. "As we undertake this review, there's a lot at stake. The result must be a comprehensive strategy for which we all take responsibility."

The United States also aims to increase foreign assistance to ease poverty, boost education, cancel the debts of poor countries, and launch a "green revolution" that produces sustainable supplies of food.

"We also are determined to build a sustainable future for our planet," Biden said. "We are prepared to once again lead by example."

On the issue of a U.S. missile shield in Eastern Europe -- a bone of contention with Russia -- Biden said the United States will remain firm in defending against the nuclear threat, and he said Washington aims to work together with Moscow.

"We will not agree with Russia on everything," he said. "For example, the United States will not -- will not -- recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states. We will not recognize any nation having a sphere of influence."

But, Biden added, "the United States and Russia can disagree and still work together where our interests coincide, and they coincide in many places." CNN

Feb. 15, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, also boasting of better relations with Russia, is on tour:

Late Thursday, the Associated Press reported Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would visit Japan, South Korea, China and Indonesia.
State Department Spokesman Robert Wood said Thursday that Clinton will visit the four countries starting Feb. 15 in a sign of the importance of President Barack Obama's administration places on relations with the Pacific Rim.

Biden met with Indonesia's vice president Jusuf Kalla in Washington:

Kalla said Indonesia hailed the changes Obama had initiated but was curious to see if they would have an impact on relations between the West and the Muslim world, relations which soured during the administration of former President George W. Bush.
"Now it depends on how the US approaches Muslim countries," he said.
While Kalla was not scheduled to meet with Biden during his stay, the US Vice President changed his plans and met with the Indonesian Vice President at the White House on Wednesday.
"I am the first Vice President to be welcomed by Vice President Biden in the United States," Kalla told Antara.

Joe in Munich:

Cheney Bush Turned Loose 100s of Guantanamo Detainees

Cheney-Bush released 270 Guantanamo detainees that they at first said were "serious deadly threats." This was mentioned during Leon Panetta's confirmation hearing to head the CIA. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse was making a point on secrecy:

Obama's Rattled Terrorist Leaders

Seems Bush was the perfect enemy.
Bush foolishly elevated terrorists to new heights by declaring his "war on terror." He made terrorists heroes to followers. Bush lumped terrorists and Muslims together, degrading a whole population of people. But Obama is not Bush and Obama purposefully reached out to the Muslim world during his inauguration speech (the more I think about that the more I see it as a stroke of genius) and Al-Qaeda leaders are having a tougher time convincing their people that Obama is an enemy.

WaPo: Soon after the November election, al-Qaeda's No. 2 leader took stock of America's new president-elect and dismissed him with an insulting epithet. "A house Negro," Ayman al-Zawahiri said.

That was just a warm-up. In the weeks since, the terrorist group has unleashed a stream of verbal tirades against Barack Obama, each more venomous than the last. Obama has been called a "hypocrite," a "killer" of innocents, an "enemy of Muslims." He was even blamed for the Israeli military assault on Gaza, which began and ended before he took office.

"He kills your brothers and sisters in Gaza mercilessly and without affection," an al-Qaeda spokesman declared in a grainy Internet video this month.

They're using the same rhetoric but it's not working:

With Obama, al-Qaeda faces an entirely new challenge, experts say: a U.S. president who campaigned to end the Iraq war and to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and who polls show is well liked throughout the Muslim world.

Whether the pro-Obama sentiment will last remains to be seen. On Friday, the new administration signaled that it intends to continue at least one of Bush's controversial counterterrorism policies: allowing CIA missile strikes on alleged terrorist hideouts in Pakistan's autonomous tribal region.

But for now, the change in Washington appears to have rattled al-Qaeda's leaders, some of whom are scrambling to convince the faithful that Obama and Bush are essentially the same.

"They're highly uncertain about what they're getting in this new adversary," said Paul Pillar, a former CIA counterterrorism official who lectures on national security at Georgetown University. "For al-Qaeda, as a matter of image and tone, George W. Bush had been a near-perfect foil." Read the whole story

Guantanamo Prosecutions Suspended at Obama's Request

This is one of Obama's first actions. The Obama administration wants time to review the cases and it is considered a first step to closing the detention facility, that Bush wanted to keep open until the "war on terror" was over.

WaPo: GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba, Jan. 21 -- In one of its first actions, the Obama administration instructed military prosecutors late Tuesday to seek a 120-day suspension of legal proceedings involving detainees at the naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -- a clear break with the approach of the outgoing Bush administration.

Army Col. Patrick Parrish promptly put one of the cases on hold Wednesday morning, and the disposition of several others is expected to become clear later in the day. Parrish is overseeing the case involving Omar Khadr, a Canadian accused of killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan when he was 15. Khadr's trial was about to begin, but the defense did not object to a delay until May 20 and Parrish issued the necessary order.

Some military prosecutors aren't happy:

The legal maneuver appears designed to provide the Obama administration time to refashion the prosecution system and potentially treat detainees as criminal defendants in federal court or have them face war-crimes charges in military courts-martial. It is also possible that the administration could re-form and relocate the military commissions before resuming trials.

The motion prompted a clear sense of disappointment among some of the military officials here who had tried to make a success of the system, despite charges that the military tribunals were a legal netherworld. Military prosecutors and other commission officials here were told not to speak to the news media, according to a Pentagon official.

"It's over; I don't want to say any more," said one official involved in the process.

Some of what's on tap for the first day, Obama will meet with military leaders to talk about withdrawal from Iraq:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Obama To Order Guantanamo Closure Feinstein Introduces Bill

Obama intends to issue an order to close Guantanamo within his first week. Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced today a bill intended to shut the detention facility within a year:

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) introduced legislation today to close the Department of Defense detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, within one year of the bill’s enactment.

It is the first measure introduced in the Senate to close the Guantanamo Bay facility.

Senator Feinstein, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is deeply concerned that open-ended detentions and documented reports of detainee abuse at Guantanamo Bay have tarnished America’s reputation and complicated our efforts to fight global terrorism.

“Guantanamo Bay has become a lightning rod for international condemnation,” Senator Feinstein said. “This has greatly damaged the nation’s credibility around the world. Rather than make the United States safer, the image projected by this facility puts us at greater risk. The time has come to close it down.”

“I want to be clear. I am absolutely opposed to releasing any terrorists, Taliban fighters or anyone else held at Guantanamo who is committed to harming the United States.

“At the same time, we must recognize the sustained damage this facility is doing to our international standing. We are better served by closing this facility and transferring the detainees elsewhere.”

The legislation Senator Feinstein has introduced requires that, within one year of the date of enactment:

The President shall close the Department of Defense detention facility at Guantanamo Bay; and
All detainees at the facility shall be removed and transferred to:
A civilian or military facility in the United States and charged with a violation of U.S. or international law for prosecution in a civilian or military proceeding;
A facility in the United States for continued detention, where authorized;
Any international legal tribunal that may be authorized for this purpose; or
The detainees’ home nations or a third-party government for further processing; there must be assurances that detainees will not be tortured or otherwise handled in a manner against international law. Read more at Feinstein's senate site.

Cheney Unapologetic on Waterboarding

Can't wait til this horrible man is no longer our shadow president. Not only were Bush-Cheney oppressive and wrong about many things, they lacked humility to admit mistakes.
He'll be on our TVs tonight. Ickles.

ABC: Vice President Dick Cheney issued an unapologetic defense of the Bush administration's anti-terror policies, including the use of waterboarding, and said the prison at Guantanamo Bay should remain open as long as there's a war on terror.

In his first exit interview and first television interview since the November election, Cheney held fast to his views on coercing information out of alleged terrorists, saying waterboarding was an appropriate means of getting information from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Cheney resisted those who say the Bush administration has overstepped its bounds on torture, saying national intelligence is an art, not a science.

Obama Calls Closing Guantanamo Priority

WaPo: The Obama administration will launch a review of the classified files of the approximately 250 detainees at Guantanamo Bay immediately after taking office, as part of an intensive effort to close the U.S. prison in Cuba, according to people who advised the campaign on detainee issues.

Announcing the closure of the controversial detention facility would be among the most potent signals the incoming administration could send of its sharp break with the Bush era, according to the advisers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak for the president-elect. They believe the move would create a global wave of diplomatic and popular goodwill that could accelerate the transfer of some detainees to other countries.

But the advisers, as well as outside national security and legal experts, said the new administration will face a thicket of legal, diplomatic, political and logistical challenges to closing the prison and prosecuting the most serious offenders in the United States -- an effort that could take many months or longer. Among the thorniest issues will be how to build effective cases without using evidence obtained by torture, an issue that attorneys for the detainees will almost certainly seek to exploit.