Why has it been so hard for President Obama to close Guantanamo Bay?
He is the President. He is not Congress. Most of the members of Congress do not want Guantanamo Bay closed.
The Short Answer
He is the President. He is not Congress. Most of the members of Congress do not want Guantanamo Bay closed. That is the simple answer. But this is ELI5. Lets get broader. Guantanamo Bay is a United States base leased from the Cuban Government for, I believe, 99 years. That government is long since vanished. But the USA maintains it still has the right to the base until the lease expires. I think the present Cuban government would like it back, or has wanted it back. What you are really referring to are the detention facilities. Since Guantanamo Bay is not actually on US soil the legal experts agree that some rules do not apply. So anyone the US wanted detained after 9/11/01 in the custody of US armed forces, (I am leaving out the CIA and its hidden prisons), is moved there. There are some bad folks there, dangerous to us. So going back to what I said. The President cannot do everything he wants to do. The Congress must approve. They do not.
Analysis
Key Concepts: Congress, guantanamo, government
This explanation focuses on congress, guantanamo, government and spans 173 words across 18 sentences. At 140% above the average Society explanation (72 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “He is the President.” It then elaborates by presenting a contrasting perspective, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 18 connected points.
How This Compares in Society
Ranked #9 of 500 Society questions by answer depth (top 3%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why it been so hard for president obama to close guantanamo bay?
He is the President. He is not Congress. Most of the members of Congress do not want Guantanamo Bay closed. That is the simple answer. But this is ELI5. Lets get broader. Guantanamo Bay is a United States base leased from the Cuban Government for, I…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Society questions?
This is one of the most thorough answer at 173 words, ranked #9 of 500 Society questions by depth. The key concepts covered are congress, guantanamo, government.
What approach does this answer take to explain it been so hard for president obama to close guantanamo bay?
The explanation uses contrasting perspectives across 173 words. It is categorized under Society and addresses the question through 1 analytical lens.