It’s Gone! For now…

Last week, President Barack Obama issued new guidelines for the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012. In short, the new guidelines waive the most controversial piece of the bill: indefinite detention. The guidelines also waived the application to law-abiding American citizens.

(Yay! Everyone Cheer!)

Now, let me put the brakes on your excitement.  The new rules apply only while President Obama resides in office. Which means, unless repealed, indefinite detention for American citizens will be in full effect come January 2013 or 2017.

In 2007, President Obama campaigned on closing Guantanamo Bay. Come 2012, not only has Obama not closed Gitmo, he has expanded its controversial policies to apply to everyone in the world.

Which leaves one wondering why Obama would sign NDAA, as it was written, into effect? He could have vetoed the bill and sent it back to the Congress for revision, but he chose not to. To add to the confusion, he has now revoked only his own authority to utilize them. This means one of two things:

1. Obama never intended on closing Gitmo, doesn’t care about our Constitutional rights as American citizens, and only waived indefinite detention during his presidency for political reasons.

2. Obama was forced into signing NDAA as it was written and waived indefinite detention during his presidency because he truly disagrees with it. (But has no backbone)

Either way, don’t let the shades be pulled over your eyes. The threat is still alive and well.