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Obama's Guantanamo policy rings a bell
After pledging to close the prison, the president is leaving open the possibility of indefinite detentions -- a legal stance that for many people hews uncomfortably close to Bush administration policies.
When President Obama took office, he vowed not only to close Guantanamo but to "construct a legitimate legal framework" for the remaining prisoners. Initially, Obama's team hoped other nations would agree to take most of the prisoners.
After many nations hesitated, the new administration struggled to decide what constitutional and legal standards should apply to the more than 200 detainees who remained.
Unwilling to call them prisoners of war and unable to try them all as criminals, Obama and his lawyers opted for a split decision.