President Obama: "We've Got to Close Guantanamo"
At a rare press conference with reporters at the White House today, President Barack Obama made several statements. Among them was the claim that Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base must be closed.
"I continue to believe that we've got to close Guantanamo," President Obama said, but "Congress determined that they would not let us close it."
Obama explained how maintaining the prison tarnishes the reputation and moral standing of the United States in the eyes of the international community.
On Thursday, the American Medical Association issued a letter asking if doctors at Guantanamo Bay were violating their ethics by force-feeding prisoners, amid a growing number of prisoner hunger strikes protesting conditions and indefinite detention.
"The idea that we would still detain forever a group of individuals that have not been tried, that is contrary to who we are, that is contrary to our interests and it has to stop," President Obama said.
Read more about the AMA's letter and the current state of affairs at Guantanamo Bay.
Other announcements included the statement that although the United States has clear evidence that chemical weapons were used in Syria, there is no certainty as to who used them.
Additionally, Obama said that the Boston bombing illustrates the danger of "self-radicalization" of terrorists within the United States, and that he has challenged his anti-terrorism team to learn how to best prevent or identify self-radicalization.
The president also defended his health insurance legislation, in light of delays in creating the federal health exchange and other aspects of its implementation.
He expressed his confidence in the ability of Congress to pass immigration reform legislation. "I've been impressed by the work that was done by the Group of 8 in the Senate," he said.
The president also praised NBA player Jason Collins for publicly coming out as gay. "I think a lot of young people out there who are gay or lesbian, who are struggling, to see a role model like that who's unafraid, I think it's a great thing," Obama said.