One year ago today, President Obama re-committed to closing Guantánamo and lifted his self-imposed ban on transfers to Yemen. Yet a year later, he has little to show for it. Although Yemenis make up more than half of the current population and two-thirds of the men cleared for release, President Obama has not transferred a single Yemeni since his speech. In fact, no Yemeni has left Guantánamo alive since 2010. In the past year, only twelve men have been transferred, two by force to a country where they feared persecution.
This video blog is about CCR’s Yemeni clients, Ghaleb Al-Bihani, Mohammed al-Hamiri, Tariq Ba Odah, and Fahd Ghazy. These men and others like them have never been—and will never be—charged with a crime. The ugly truth is that they are trapped in Guantánamo largely because of their identity. Please share it and continue speaking out!
Defying Trump’s right-wing agenda from Day One
Inauguration Day is coming up soon, and at Truthout, we plan to defy Trump’s right-wing agenda from Day One.
Looking to the first year of Trump’s presidency, we know that the most vulnerable among us will be harmed. Militarized policing in U.S. cities and at the borders will intensify. The climate crisis will deteriorate further. The erosion of free speech has already begun, and we anticipate more attacks on journalism.
It will be a terrifying four years to produce social justice-driven journalism. But we’re not falling to despair, because we know there are reasons to believe in our collective power.
The stories we publish at Truthout are part of the antidote to creeping authoritarianism. And this year, we promise we will kick into an even higher gear to give you truthful news that cuts against the disinformation, vitriol, hate and violence. We promise to publish analyses that will serve the needs of the movements we all rely on to survive the next four years, and even build for the future. We promise to be responsive, to recognize you as members of our community with a vital stake and voice in this work.
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