So the saga continues.

“WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama will begin overhauling U.S. national security policy Thursday with orders to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center, review military trials of terror suspects and end harsh interrogations, two government officials said.

Together, the three executive orders and a presidential directive will reshape how the United States prosecutes and questions al-Qaida, Taliban or other foreign fighters who pose a threat to Americans.

A senior Obama administration official said the president would sign an order Thursday to shutter the Guantanamo prison within one year, fulfilling his campaign promise to close a facility that critics around the world say violates domestic and international detainee rights. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity because the order has not yet been issued.

A draft copy of the order, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, notes that “in view of significant concerns raised by these detentions, both within the United States and internationally, prompt and appropriate disposition of the individuals currently detained at Guantanamo and closure of the facility would further the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States and the interests of justice.”

This of course is a punt. Lots of things can happen in a year, notwithstanding the trials of the five 9/11 conspirators. So this is more or less a “half-way” point between the first 100 days and by the end of his first term.

Just another bone. More from the AP:

“Two other executive orders and a presidential directive also are expected Thursday, according to the administration official and an aide to a House Republican lawmaker who was briefed on the plans Wednesday by White House counsel Greg Craig. They include:

_An executive order creating a task force that would have 30 days to recommend policies on handling terror suspects who are detained in the future. Specifically, the group would look at where those detainees should be housed since Guantanamo is closing.

_An executive order to require all U.S. personnel to follow the U.S. Army Field Manual while interrogating detainees. The manual explicitly prohibits threats, coercion, physical abuse and waterboarding, a technique that creates the sensation of drowning and has been termed a form of torture by critics. However, the administration also is planning a study of more aggressive interrogation methods that could be added to the Army manual, a second Capitol Hill aide said.

_A presidential directive for the Justice Department to review the case of Qatar native Ali al-Marri, who is the only enemy combatant currently being held on U.S. soil. The review will look at whether al-Marri has the right to sue the government for his freedom, a right the Supreme Court already has given to Guantanamo detainees. The directive will ask the high court for a stay in al-Marri’s appeals case while the review is ongoing. The government says al-Marri is an al-Qaida sleeper agent.

The order to require all US personnel to follow FM 34-52 was already accomplished in 2006, so the need for a further order is what? Secondly, some of my intel buddies tell me that more aggressive techniques sans waterboarding WILL continue.

UPDATE: As expected the Ny Slimes follows up, claiming Obama will also order so-called secret prisons closed. Again, a prime example of Obama’s inexperience, which will causes early rifts within the intelligence community – on the bad side of the CIA – not where he wants to be. Once again, renditions and secret lockups have existed since the Clinton administration, and for good reason.

In any case look for many terrorist suspects not to get to the interrogation stage as they will most likely be “dispatched” in the field.

UPDATE II: Obama orders Gitmo to close, but…just not right away.

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