The facts speak for themselves:

• Detainees in Guantanamo now: 166
• Detainees facing active charges: 6
• Detainees cleared for immediate release, but stuck in the camp: 86
• Guantanamo inmates on hunger strike: 103
• Hunger strikers strapped down and force fed: 30
• Prisoners who have died in custody: 9
• Children the US has held at Guantanamo: 21
• Detainees tried in civilian court: 1
• “Unreleasable” detainees who can’t be tried for lack of evidence or torture: 50
• Prisoners released by the Bush administration: 500+
• Prisoners released by the Obama administration: 72
• Current annual cost to US taxpayers: $150 million
• Days since Obama first pledged to close Gitmo: 1579
• Days since first prisoners arrived at Guantanamo: 11 years, 4 months, 11 days

For years, Obama has blamed the US Congress for the failure to close Guantanamo. But since Congress granted the Defense Department waiver authority that allows prisoners who have been cleared to be transferred out, Obama himself can free these 86 men. And while he will need Congressional cooperation to close the prison completely, if he truly wants to shut it down, he can task someone at the White House right now to show it is a priority and make it happen.

Sign now to demand Obama announce a plan to close Guantanamo, and share this with everyone — let’s build an urgent global call to end this shame.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/obama_shut_down_gitmo_4/?bdLrMab&v=25111

When he first campaigned to become US president, Obama promised to close Guantanamo down. This illegal and repulsive prison has led to far too much suffering and fuelled great divisions and hate in our world. Enough is enough. Let’s get Obama to act and close this painful scar on humanity.

With hope and determination,

Dalia, Joseph, Allison, Bissan, Nick, Alice, Ricken and the whole Avaaz team

PS – Many Avaaz campaigns are started by members of our community! Start yours now and win on any issue – local, national or global: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?bgMYedb&v=25040

MORE INFORMATION

Obama to address Guantánamo and drones in major defence speech (The Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/19/obama-guantanamo-drones-defence-speech

Guantanamo by the numbers (ACLU)
http://www.aclu.org/national-security/guantanamo-numbers

Gitmo is killing me (The New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/15/opinion/hunger-striking-at-guantanamo-bay.html

How Gitmo imprisoned Obama (Newsweek)
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2013/05/15/how-gitmo-imprisoned-obama.html

Stop force-feeding inmates and close Gitmo (CNN. Op-Ed)
http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/09/opinion/warren-gitmo-hunger-strike/index.html

Guantanamo hunger strike enters 100th day (Aljazeera English)
http://www.aljazeera.com/video/americas/2013/05/201351719348602566.html

Three Guantanamo Bay prisoners who’ve been on hunger strike for 100 days (VICE)
http://www.vice.com/read/prisoners-in-guantanamo-bay-are-on-hunger-strike

Yemen wants it’s detainees out of Guantanamo (UPI)
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2013/05/17/Yemen-wants-its-detainees-out-of-Guantanamo/UPI-58651368823800