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As the first Gitmo detainee prepares for trial on American soil, Congress withholds funds for closing the infamous military presence in Cuba. Did Obama get it wrong?

Throughout the 2008 presidential campaign, President Obama repeatedly clamored against the policies of the Bush Administration regarding the War of Terror. This opposition manifested in his campaign promise to close Guantanamo Bay, a promise that came into fruition with the 44th president’s second executive order in January 2009.

Although the Obama Administration seems to be taking some pages from the playbook from the past 8 years, one constant that the president is committed to is the closing of Gitmo, even without a clear cut plan as to what will happen to the detainees currently housed at the facility.

The Senate, however, has put a kink in the president’s plan by refusing funds at this time.

This begs the question: how will Gitmo go?

The criticism that came up from Republicans during the January executive order seems to be justified now. Without a clear cut plan for where the detainees will be held, the safety of Americans comes into play. For example, many supporting the closing of the base in Cuba state that Gitmo’s existence has fueled the fires of our enemies, stoking recruitment of new terrorists, and making America unsafe. However, will bringing those terrorists onto American soil make Americans any safer? If there was an attempt to attack America based on the retention of those prisoners, wouldn’t it be safer to have the symbol of the detainees be one that is situated outside of the American mainland?

Even if one does not agree with that point of view, it is evident that members of Congress believe that there must be some sort of concrete planning that must be in place in order to submit funds for closing the base.  With this latest bipartisan hiccup from the Senate, President Obama may have to look at the feasibility of his executive order and campaign promise in light of the Senate’s unwillingness to cooperate right now. His declaration that Guantanamo Bay puts our nation at greater risk does not hold up when contrasted with the sound defeat in the Senate. This contrast comes into greater light when noticing that the current administration is validating many of President Bush’s moves by only slightly modifying Bush war policies. As well, there is already at least one plan being floated out there to save the base in Cuba while revamped regulations ensuring a new ethical presence on the island.

It is yet to be seen how Guantanamo Bay will be closed or if it will be closed at all at this point. However, the primary goal of all Americans – ethical treatment of detainees while keeping our country safe – seems to be on track. Congress’ stance from here will determine if the changes moving forward will still include closing the base.

Lenny McAllister is a regular on-air personality for Fox Charlotte’s “Fox News Rising” and XM Radio’s “The Power Table.” An alumnus of the US Senate’s African-American Leadership Summit, McAllister is a Visiting Fellow for the Center of New Politics and Policy. Find him on Facebook and at http://www.lennymcallister.com where McAllister’s weekly video commentary can be found. His book “Diary of a Mad Black PYC (Proud Young Conservative)” is due in May.