Jackie Northam
npr.org
In one of his first acts as commander in chief, President Obama in 2009 signed an executive order to close the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
It was part of a campaign promise the president made, to close the camp and “determine how to deal with those who have been held there.” But four years on, the controversial prison remains open.
The president and his administration believed Guantanamo was a symbol of the contentious counterterrorism policies of his predecessor, George W. Bush; ones that included harsh interrogation tactics, rendition and indefinite detention.