"The more power the president [Obama] takes and acts contrary to congressional wisdom, you set a precedent for future presidents… and it may not be to your political liking," Wilner said on Monday after a symposium on Guantanamo’s 14th anniversary at the New America Foundation.
Obama might have to take executive action to close the facility before the end of his presidential term despite the risks involved, Wilner added.
Wilner said he hoped to re-institute legal actions to close Guantanamo, including reversing Washington, DC circuit court opinions that allowed the federal government to hold detainees indefinitely without charge.
Monday marked the 14th anniversary since the first inmate arrived at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. Despite Obama’s pledge to close the facility prior to leaving office, 103 prisoners still remain there.
