Obama Sits Down with 9/11, USS Cole Families to Discuss Guantanamo, Terror Prosecutions
EmailABC News’ Karen Travers reports:
President Obama met for an hour this afternoon with 40 family members of victims of Sept. 11 and the USS Cole bombing to discuss his plans for closing Guantanamo Bay and prosecuting terror suspects.
The president took questions and engaged in a back-and-forth discussion that two participants said was emotional at times.
Cmdr. Kirk Lippold (Ret.), commander aboard the USS Cole when it was bombed Oct. 12, 2000, said after the meeting that he liked what he heard from President Obama today and was pleased with the fact that families of 9/11 victims and USS Cole victims will have a part in the discussions going forward on detainee policy.
This week Lippold, of Alexandria, Va., had expressed his concerns to ABC News about the President’s plan to close Guantanamo Bay and not follow through with the military commissions process, but said he was willing to hear what Obama had to say.
Tonight Lippold reiterated that he went in with an open mind and that while he agrees “in principle” with President Obama’s decision on Guantanamo, he has an issue with the timeline the president has laid out and feels that Obama has not articulated the procedures and policies.
He said he still has concerns with how the government will deal with detainees going forward.
Lippold said it was unfortunate that the White House decision “developed so swiftly” without any consultation with 9/11 and USS Cole families. “He should have sat down with the families ahead of time,” Lippold said. He felt that today’s meeting could have turned into an information session, one-sided on the part of the White House, but said “the fact that it did turn into a discussion was promising.”
The meeting changed the mind of John Clodfeller, whose son was killed in the USS Cole bombing.
Clodfeller, of Mechanicsville, Va. said he went into this meeting with a negative view of Obama’s decision and felt that he was dropping the charges and releasing a criminal. He said that he now believes that is not the case and his view changed after he heard the President explain his decision and the process going forward.
Clodfeller admitted he did not vote for President Obama but had nothing but positive things to say post-meeting. He said he has confidence in the president and that Obama was heartfelt in his approach and wanting to solve the detainee issue. Clodfeller also offered that he thinks Obama has a good possibility of being one of the better presidents.
Clodfeller and Lippold both said this was the first time that Cole families have met with a president and they were optimistic that they will continue an open dialogue with the White House as it considers the legal issue.
–Karen Travers
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I don’t think Mr. Obama knows what he’s doing. He just want the Stimulus passed, passed immediately – without thought and caution. Mr. Obama is reckless with the Americans future money.
Posted by: young_voter | February 6, 2009, 8:25 pm 8:25 pm
I challenge anyone to cite an example where the Bush administration went out of their way to meet with citizens who opposed their policies to discuss the matter.
Posted by: Skip | February 6, 2009, 8:31 pm 8:31 pm
How does Bush not meet with the families of the USS Cole attack but claim that he and repubs are the party of the military? The same people who allowed the horrible conditions of walter reed, the ones who overlooked the increased suicide rates of our soldiers, the ones who allowed the atrocities of abu grahib. How does the party of God and the military allow stuff like that to happen?
Posted by: Allamr18 | February 6, 2009, 8:47 pm 8:47 pm
President Obama acts like that he can do anything he wants because HE WON. It is great to sit down and talk with people but he seems to talk AFTER decisions are made. That is not a discussion, it’s an announcedment.
Posted by: cc jacobs | February 6, 2009, 8:50 pm 8:50 pm
cc jacobs…So you think The President should have consulted the families before deciding to close Gitmo?
Posted by: gravy | February 6, 2009, 8:53 pm 8:53 pm
A President who listens to people who disagree with him? In my lifetime…lol
GW never met with this group of people, not once, even though several members of these families requested it.
And Obama meets with them, at his request? hehehe
Eat it neocons.
Posted by: gravy | February 6, 2009, 9:11 pm 9:11 pm
young_voter – you are too funny.
Posted by: dotheresearch | February 6, 2009, 9:23 pm 9:23 pm
young_voter — I do believe you are young because a more mature person would not suggest he met with the families to pass the stimulus. One has nothing to do with the other. You may have problems with the stimulus but its passage did not sway any votes, either way, after a meeting with the families.
Posted by: ohio folk | February 6, 2009, 9:26 pm 9:26 pm
gravy…I did not mean that Pres Obama should consult with families bedfore closing Gitmo. That was not a surprize. Both candidates and Bush said Gitmo should be closed. I object to the idea of saying thaqt you are having a bipartisan discussion with somwone and when that person disagres with you comes back and says I won so I get to decide…
Posted by: ccjacobs | February 6, 2009, 9:30 pm 9:30 pm
Why do Republicans hate America? They have done their best over the past eight years to try and destroy it and show no signs of stopping. They start unprovoked wars, are careless with our safeties and freedoms, and seem to have no sense of decency to those hurt most by terrorist attacks. They wear patriotism on their sleeves and lapels but have no idea what it even means.
pause…
Obviously the above is not (completely) true, but that is the same line Republicans have been using against the Democrats since 9/11. It’s time to move on and stop the fingerpointing and partisan nonsense. We need elected officials who think for themselves rather than vote along party lines.
Posted by: why | February 6, 2009, 9:31 pm 9:31 pm
I think it was a good thing for the President to meet with these families. It would have been nicer if he had met with them before he signed the Closing Exec. Order.
1 Thing about Obama as President that REALLY bothers me from Obama “running” for President is: I thought Obama was a little more patient in his actions. Since he has been Pres., he seems to want to JUMP AND DO like there is a fire on his ass.
Did he think that JUST BECAUSE he won, he did not have to CONSULT ANYONE anymore? That he had a blank check to do whatever?
Sad… that is not what type of person I thought he was.
I try to teach my son that it is better to think something out before you do. In most cases rushing into something or rushing to do something is NOT the best thing to do.
Let us hope our President will slow down and show us that he is more willing to think things through before jumping to get it done.
Posted by: ajax | February 6, 2009, 9:39 pm 9:39 pm
Why did the government wait so long to process these criminals? USS Cole was bombed on 10/12/2000? That’s over 8 years ago! What the?
Posted by: JV | February 7, 2009, 12:11 am 12:11 am
Some of the voters don’t understand what politic is. Obama’s approval rating is almost down below 60%. This is show that the voters don’t like what he is doing and has already broken promise to the them and telling them lied during his campaign about what the issues he stand for. Look what has happened now since he became President about four weeks ago.
During his campaign, he kept saying he wanted to change, change, and change. It didn’t work. Obama does have a ‘lack’ of leadership.
Posted by: anonymous | February 7, 2009, 5:10 am 5:10 am
Why didn’t GWB have these people prosecuted and dealt with. Anyone? Nine freakin years later and they still haven’t done anything with them?
Posted by: Jwench | February 7, 2009, 7:37 am 7:37 am
re: “President Obama acts like that he can do anything he wants because HE WON.”
He CAN do anything he wants, because HE WON.
The fact the he sits down and listens to anything that the Republicans have to say should be a point in his favor with Republican voters. Some of us don’t want him to listen to a single word the Republicans have to offer because the majority of Americans believe that the Republicans are too incompetent to run our government.
The Democrats won the Presidency.
The Democrats won the Senate.
The Democrats won the House.
The Democrats WON.
They actually CAN do anything they want. Get use to it.
Posted by: Jan | February 7, 2009, 8:03 am 8:03 am
Don’t these poor families realize Obama has a habit of saying things behind closed doors–then something else to the next audience.
I don’t know how anyone can believe
Obama.
Posted by: sammy | February 7, 2009, 9:33 am 9:33 am
I am not so sure that this meeting wasn’t just an untoward publicity stunt during a time when his ratings are down as a result of ineffective and partisan decision making regarding the stimulus packacge. Haven’t convinced me yet! Rah RahRah that he managed to assuage the family members, all 40 out of probably 30,000 worldwide. Fact is, he’s not credible but he sure can talk a fast game -
Posted by: whatever | February 7, 2009, 10:19 am 10:19 am
A disgrace, and a political stunt!!
The terorista do not get Habeus Corpus, and in the past trials were not done til the war was over!! no matter how long the terrorists stayed. He cares more for the terrorists then Americans!!
Posted by: spock | February 7, 2009, 1:22 pm 1:22 pm
Never during his campaign or in issueing his order did Obama cite “swift justice” as his goal. It was always obtaining full “rights” i.e., constitutional rights for the detainees, including the plotters of 9/11. Having them tried and convicted or protecting the world from them was never an expressed concern.
And I am a 9/11 family member and I met Bush twice – at public 9/11 family events at which any and all were invited, regardless of political views or connection and we all had the opportunity to express to him whatever was on your mind.
And how and why is justice denied at Gitmo? The biggest problem there seemed to be releasing the wrong people; again a concern Obama never expressed interest in.
History demands a verdict on these people. Obama obviously disagrees.
Posted by: michael burke | February 7, 2009, 1:26 pm 1:26 pm
I dont think the terrorists should have any priviledges like habeus corpus. I’m not sure what that is, but I do know it’s not one of those drinks at a biker bar.
Posted by: amber | February 7, 2009, 1:59 pm 1:59 pm
amber—hopefully you never have to know what habeas corpus is or even make the smallest effort to find out. once it’s gone, so sorry, there is no hope for you.
Posted by: Paul Wall | February 7, 2009, 5:10 pm 5:10 pm
young_voter—wrong blog, man
Posted by: Paul Wall | February 7, 2009, 5:12 pm 5:12 pm
Paul – You’re being presumptuous, to say the least. : )
Posted by: amber | February 7, 2009, 5:25 pm 5:25 pm
We handle Serial Killers, Murderers, Molesters and Domestic Terrorists in our justice system. Why are we afraid of handling some foreign terrorists in our own courts? I don’t understand this fear.
Posted by: Mike C | February 7, 2009, 5:54 pm 5:54 pm
POW’S are taken with the idea that they will remain prisoners and NOT return to the battlefield. All Obama has done is encourage our military to TAKE NO PRISIONERS-OF-WAR! Good Work Obama, you solved the POW and Gitmo problems. Actions have consequences.
Posted by: bill | February 8, 2009, 9:14 am 9:14 am
A LOT of these people in Gitmo are innocent. That is the problem. Some of them may be “bad guys” as the old administration dubbed them, but there is no proof. Most of the detainees were snitched on by people our “intelligence” agencies dubbed terrorists. If you were caught and tortured and you had to give up names, would you really give up your terrorist pals? Or would you maybe, give up Jim Nobody down the street? I agree with some of the sane people posting on here. If after 8 years of holding these people and getting nowhere, you can’t bring an actual case against them, then let them go. I’m sure the CIA has implanted tracking chips in their bums anyway, so what’s the big deal? We can track the real terrorists to their source now, but what do we say to the ones who were held and tortured for no reason? Sorry guys, but we felt a lot safer.
Posted by: snooch | February 8, 2009, 8:02 pm 8:02 pm
I also am a 9/11 family member, and frankly, Bush only met w/ people who agreed with him, not any of the rest of us.
What you think you know about “Guantanamo” is only the tip of the iceberg. Please read the exhaustively researched and documented book “The Dark Side” by Jane Mayer. Bush’s approach resulted in unreliable intelligence — the “successes” cited by Bush & Cheney were actually accomplished by the FBI using traditional interrogation methods. And there have been hundreds of prisoners w/ no connection to terrorism — only there because of bounties paid to Warlords for any warm body, with no review of evidence.
Posted by: John L | February 9, 2009, 4:45 pm 4:45 pm
You have all missed the point. The reason that the 9 11 families wanted proper court procedings for the men who are accused of being the masterminds is because it is in such trials that the truth about 9 11 may possibly come out, that truth being that those Saudi Patsies had nothing to do with it, that Al Quaida, which was created by the CIA during the Bush Sr administration to help to fight against the USSR, had nothing to do with it, and that 9 11 was an inside job. Buildings do not turn into a fine powder because of burning jet fuel, or else my stainless steel pot would melt every time I cook rice. Buildings do not fall at free fall speed, unhindered by the bulk of lower floors, because of a simple fire.
Turn off your tv’s and go back and read some physics, and don’t give me that ridiculous pancake theory.
see physicians and architects for 9 11 truth.
Posted by: Holly | February 13, 2009, 10:00 pm 10:00 pm
Obama told us for months he would close gitmo.. He also said he would disarm our nuclear weapons, and have a homeland military, …
His first tv appearance as president was on an arabian station.
I will never get used to this man…under any circumstances..He is not what people think..
Posted by: ruth | February 14, 2009, 4:35 pm 4:35 pm