WASHINGTON // Top Democrats in the US House of Representatives have rejected a request by Barack Obama for US$80 million (Dh294m) to close the Guantanamo Bay detention centre, saying they will not allocate the funds until the administration presents a specific plan for the detainees there.
A supplemental war funding request sent by the US president to Capitol Hill last month included $50m for the defence department and $30m for the justice department to start the process of shutting down the military facility in Cuba.
But David Obey, the powerful chairman of the House appropriations committee, dropped the money from that chamber's version of the bill, saying he wanted to see a detailed plan before doling out the funds.
"When they have a plan, they're welcome to come back and talk to us about it," Mr Obey said of administration officials.
In January Mr Obama ordered that Guantanamo close within a year and launched a comprehensive multi-agency review of what to do with its approximately 240 remaining prisoners, some of whom have been cleared for release and others who may yet be brought to trial.
The Senate is expected to consider the funding request this week ; the top Democrat there, Harry Reid, has suggested he may include the money for Guantanamo but make it contingent on the Obama administration providing more specific plans.
The House and Senate would then have to hammer out their differences.
The funding issue aside, Mr Obama's high-profile effort to close the facility has been met with resistance from members of both political parties who, anticipating a public outcry from their constituents, do not want Guantanamo prisoners moved to prisons in their states or released into their communities - even if the US government now says they are not dangerous.
"I fully expect to have 535 pieces of legislation before this is over saying, 'Not in my district, not in my state'," Robert Gates, the defence secretary, testified recently on the Hill, referring to the total number of legislators in Congress.
One of those pieces of legislation - the Keep Terrorists Out of America Act - was introduced on Thursday by a group of House Republicans.
It would prevent detainees from being transferred to any state unless that state's governor and legislature approve the move ahead of time.
"Putting these people in the middle of our communities puts those communities at risk and puts the people who work at those facilities at risk," Peter Hoekstra, the top Republican on the House intelligence committee and a sponsor of the bill, said at a news conference.
Eric Holder, the attorney general, recently testified that the administration would not, in deciding whether and where to transfer or release the detainees, "put at risk the safety of the people of this country".
Washington has been pressing other countries to take some of the men cleared for release, but officials know it is easier to make that case if the United States itself will accept some - which to date it has not.
Among the most likely to be released into the US are some, or all, of the 17 Chinese Uighurs held for years at Guantanamo, who cannot be returned to their home country because of safety concerns.
Cleared by the US of being "enemy combatants", they were ordered to be released in October by a federal district court, but that decision was overturned on appeal in February.
Reports that Mr Obama might soon order the Uighurs to be released himself prompted Frank Wolf, a Republican congressman from Virginia, where there is a local Uighur community offering to help resettle the men, to write to the president detailing his "profound reservations".
"Let's be clear: these terrorists would not be held in prisons but released into neighbourhoods," Mr Wolf said recently on the House floor.
"They should not be released at all into the United States. Do members [of Congress] realise who these people are?"
eniedowski@thenational.ae
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Five%20calorie-packed%20Ramadan%20drinks
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERooh%20Afza%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20contains%20414%20calories%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETang%20orange%20drink%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20serving%20contains%20300%20calories%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECarob%20beverage%20mix%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20serving%20contains%20about%20300%20calories%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EQamar%20Al%20Din%20apricot%20drink%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20saving%20contains%2061%20calories%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EVimto%20fruit%20squash%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20serving%20contains%2030%20calories%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
DMZ facts
- The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
MATCH INFO
Karnatake Tuskers 114-1 (10 ovs)
Charles 57, Amla 47
Bangla Tigers 117-5 (8.5 ovs)
Fletcher 40, Moores 28 no, Lamichhane 2-9
Bangla Tiger win by five wickets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Intercontinental Cup
Namibia v UAE Saturday Sep 16-Tuesday Sep 19
Table 1 Ireland, 89 points; 2 Afghanistan, 81; 3 Netherlands, 52; 4 Papua New Guinea, 40; 5 Hong Kong, 39; 6 Scotland, 37; 7 UAE, 27; 8 Namibia, 27