Obama Still Running Black Site Prisons

Back at the beginning of the year, when much of liberal America was still flushed with glee at the inauguration of Barack Obama, we noted that there was a growing dark side to the new Obama Administration. Though Obama had promised during his campaign to overturn George W. Bush’s attacks against the Constitution, as President he was taking action to support and continue those attacks.

One instance of Obama’s sudden reversal to embrace the worst policies of Bush was his announcement in February that he would continue to deny habeas corpus rights for prisoners at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan. In April, President Obama reiterated his intention to refuse habeas corpus for anyone held at this prison, in spite of a court ruling requiring him to end this unconstitutional policy.

Now, the New York Times is reporting that Obama has kept operating this unconstitutional prison where neither the rights of prisoners of war nor the rights of criminal suspects are respected. Sure, Obama said that he would close all the secret black site prisons run by the CIA, but this black site prison’s existence was an open secret, and it’s operated by the military, not by the CIA.

George W. Bush established this unconstitutional prison, but Obama is the one keeping it running now – and preventing inspectors from organizations like the International Committee of the Red Cross from checking to make sure that prisoners aren’t being tortured. Why is President Obama so determined to make sure that no one checks to see whether his prisoners are being tortured? Why does Obama insist on having prisons that operate outside of the law, in defiance of Judicial Branch orders that these operations cease?

2009 has been a year in which only liberals who insist on remaining willfully ignorant can remain gleeful about the inauguration of Barack Obama.