Like I've said, Drama? No Obama.
Although I do wonder if the outreach to Cuba isn't so trivial, and will include an end-run around Congress over closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility by just turning over the base to Cuba.
Sure, this "fact check" says President Obama has no intention of doing that (and that we have strategic reasons to keep the base):
The U.S. has leased Guantanamo Bay from Cuba since 1903, following the American victory in the Spanish-American War. The land belongs to Cuba, but the original agreement — known as the Platt Amendment — gives the United States "complete jurisdiction and control" over the base. A subsequent agreement in 1934 gave the U.S. the use of Guantanamo "in perpetuity," unless the U.S. either unilaterally abandons the base or both the U.S. and Cuba agree to end the lease.
So it can't happen unless the United States abandons the base or the United states agrees to end the lease (which Cuba already wants ended)?
I can believe that technically, "at this point," the president has no intention of doing either. But in a week? Who knows? I'd love to see an analysis of the process to do either of those things to end our presence there.
UPDATE: Since I scheduled this post, I read that Secretary of Defense Carter defended the strategic need for the base, so I don't actually think that a transfer of the base is likely at all.
Had I remembered this was the subject of the post, I would have not have noted my concern about the fate of the base itself.
Hey, I'm busy.
