Obama's anti-terrorism policies hit walls

WASHINGTON -- Two days after his inauguration, Barack Obama signed executive orders banning harsh interrogation techniques and requiring that military detention facilities at Cuba's Guantanamo Bay be closed within a year.

Four months later, though, Congress stands in the way of the Guantanamo shutdown by withholding funds. Conservatives, led by former vice president Dick Cheney, are criticizing Obama's decision to release Bush administration memos approving the interrogation techniques. Liberal groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union are fuming at his refusal to seek prosecutions, release photos and end military tribunals.

The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, dominated and defined George W. Bush's years in the White House. Now, eight years later, the repercussions have given Obama one of his toughest political and policy challenges.

Obama sets about trying to rectify that situation Thursday when he delivers a speech at the National Archives on his post-9/11 policies. Members of Congress, his liberal base and his conservative opponents will be listening to hear exactly where he stands.

"The president wants to frame this issue for lawmakers and for the public," says White House press secretary Robert Gibbs. "He'll outline the reasoning of why he strongly believes, and many in both parties believe, that closing Guantanamo Bay is in our best national security and foreign policy interest. And he will go through a number of the decisions related to that."

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Developments in recent days have raised the ante for Obama as he seeks to push his policies:

• The Senate voted 90-6 Wednesday to block the transfer of Guantanamo prisoners to the United States and deny Obama the $80 million he sought to shut down the facility. The move came as FBI Director Robert Mueller said any possible transfers could lead to terrorist attacks here.

• Antipathy toward Obama's decision to release Bush-era interrogation memos hasn't let up. Cheney, a leading critic of Obama's policies, is set to speak elsewhere in Washington this morning at about the time the president wraps up his remarks.