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So Obama Really Can Close Gitmo

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Medea Benjamin
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2. Yunis Abdurrahman Shokuri is a 46-year-old citizen of Morocco who has been held in Guantà �namo for over 12 years. As his lawyers at Reprieve explained, "Younous has consistently been one of the most cooperative, peaceful prisoners at the base; he says he bears Americans no ill-will. His greatest wish is to be reunited with his wife and continue with the quiet life that was interrupted by America's 'war on terror.'"

3. Ghaleb Nassar Al-Bihani, a diabetic Yemeni citizen, copes with his anxiety and depression through exercise, including yoga. Mr. Al-Bihani has been imprisoned for the last 12 years on the basis of allegations that in 2001 he was an assistant cook for a Taliban-affiliated group that later disbanded----yet he has never been charged with a crime.

4. Fahd Ghazy, a Yemeni citizen, has been detained at Guantà �namo since 2002. Imprisoned just months after getting married and having a child at the age of 17, he is one of the last remaining prisoners detained as a juvenile. Fahd was cleared for transfer by President Bush in 2007, and again by the Obama administration in 2009. He is now 29 years old and has spent over one-third of his life in Guantà �namo without charge.

5. Shaker Aamer is a former UK resident and Saudi Arabian national who has been held at Guantà �namo without charge since 2002. Despite the willingness of UK authorities to permit Aamer's return to the UK and rejoin his family, he remains imprisoned. He has spent much of his time held in solitary confinement, and has been involved in protesting against conditions at the camp, including participating in hunger strikes.

The president should also use his authority to release another prisoner wrongly held: former CIA official John Kiriakou, imprisoned for telling the truth about CIA waterboarding and torture. Kiriakou's family is in danger of losing their home while he serves time a 30-month prison sentence, and the peace community has rallied to their defense.

President Obama acted courageously to secure the release of Bowe Bergdahl. Now he must act courageously to deal with the remaining Guantanamo prisoners by freeing the 77 who have been cleared and by freeing--or securing fair trials--for the rest.

This is precisely what Bob Bergdahl, father of the swapped prisoner, is calling for. "I don't think anybody can relate to the prisoners in Guantà �namo more than our family, because it's the same thing," he said. "How could we have such a high standard of judicial process for horrible war criminals [during World War II] ... and yet now we can go for 10-11 years without even having judicial process? It's just wrong." President Obama can, and must, right this wrong.

Medea Benjamin (@MedeaBenjamin) is the co-founder of the peace group CODEPINK and the organization Global Exchange. She is the author of Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control.

Alli McCracken (@AlliMcCrack) is the national coordinator for the peace group CODEPINK, based in Washington DC. She is an avid supporter of whistleblowers and hopes you will make a donation to help John Kiriakou's family keep their home.

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Medea Benjamin is the cofounder of Global Exchange and CODEPINK: Women for Peace and author of Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the US-Saudi Connection. 

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