"GENUINELY CONFLICTED":

Obama Talks to Sept. 11, USS Cole Families About Guantanamo Prison (Peter Finn and Dan Eggen, 2/07/09, Washington Post)

The exchange, which was sometimes passionate but never acrimonious, left some who were deeply skeptical of the administration's decision to suspend military commissions at Guantanamo Bay satisfied that the president has not yet decided to abolish the current system of prosecuting suspected terrorists.

Obama told the group that he was only hitting the "pause button" when he sought the suspension of proceedings against 21 detainees, including Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks. And he assured the group that he wants the swift prosecution of those responsible for the terrorist attacks and their facilitators.

"It was evident he was genuinely conflicted about the best approach," said Hamilton Peterson of Bethesda, who lost his father and stepmother on United Flight 93 and thinks Guantanamo Bay should be kept open.

Yeesh, the guy's turning into Jimmy Carter before our very eyes. Is he capable of making a decision?

Posted by Orrin Judd at February 7, 2009 6:43 AM