So, the 'Gitmo-2' cat is out of the bag?

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• Mr Bond 9 years ago

  The Americans has realized that President John Dramani Mahama is very corrupt to the core and as far as accept money to take in the 2 GITMO and the Americans has realized that President John Dramani Mahama will take terrorist ...
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  The Americans has realized that President John Dramani Mahama is very corrupt to the core and as far as accept money to take in the 2 GITMO and the Americans has realized that President John Dramani Mahama will take terrorist money to realize the two GITMO.

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• Charles Agbenu 9 years ago

  Mahama decision on GITMO 2 is as reckless and dumbfounding. The idea has no head nor tail.. just coming from a President who is clearly detached from decency, common sense and honour. We have enough problems in Ghana and thi ...
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  Mahama decision on GITMO 2 is as reckless and dumbfounding. The idea has no head nor tail.. just coming from a President who is clearly detached from decency, common sense and honour. We have enough problems in Ghana and this GITMO matter is sheer tomfoolery, useless and unwarranted.

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• Kwabena Yeboah 9 years ago

  The Senators' letter to the US Senate Appropriation Committee has confirmed the rumour circling in some media quarters that Mahama took a cool $20 million before accepting the GITMO 2.
  
  This part of the Senators' letter:"W ...
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  The Senators' letter to the US Senate Appropriation Committee has confirmed the rumour circling in some media quarters that Mahama took a cool $20 million before accepting the GITMO 2.
  
  This part of the Senators' letter:"We therefore request the Committee to include in the fiscal year 2017 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations bill, language that would reduce assistance to Ghana by $10 million per detainee" - is incontrovertible evidence that John Mahama received $10 million a piece for the GITMO 2. The Senate withholding not $20 million or $30 million in US foreign assistance to Ghana but $10 million has now become a statement of fact in the GITMO 2 jig-saw. Mahama lied to the nation when he said, he accepted the GITMO 2 on compassionate grounds and must be impeached.
  
  The American President, Richard Nixon, was impeached in the 70s when he lied to the American people, and why should Mahama stay in power after lying through his teeth? IMPEACH MAHAMA NOW!!!

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• Jojo Hammond, New Jersey 9 years ago

  How can the Senators' letter asking for "a language" to be inserted in an appropriation bill for the fiscal year 2017 be construed to mean that a specific amount was offered to Ghana in exchange for the latter's acceptance of ...
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  How can the Senators' letter asking for "a language" to be inserted in an appropriation bill for the fiscal year 2017 be construed to mean that a specific amount was offered to Ghana in exchange for the latter's acceptance of the 2 ex-Gitmo detainees? If the US offered aid to Ghana in the 2016 fiscal year, was that aid for the detainees coming to Ghana accounted for in the appropriation bill of 2016? And what was the "language" in the appropriate bill for 2016? The detainees came to Ghana when budget/appropriation for 2016 had been done way in advance.
  
  Very surprising that Uncle Cameron Duodo, has joined the ranks of lazy Journalists at home who write things without understanding them. I say this about Mr. Duodu, rather sadly, because my interest in international affairs and local politics was influenced as a primary school kid by reading and hearing from Uncle Cameron.
  
  These Senators are all Republicans and anyone with the slightest knowledge of US politics, knows that this whole Gitmo saga is a struggle between mostly Republicans and President Obama. They have opposed President Obama on almost everything he wanted to do, including the closing of Gitmo. So to take a letter from these 4 Senators as a proof of any payment and worse as a stand by the US government betrays the lack of basic knowledge and understanding of US internal politics.
  
  All the noise which Ghanaians are hearing about the detainees coming to Ghana are coming from News Corporation owned outlets, FOX News and the Weekly Standard. Do Ghanaians know the politics of these media organizations vis-à-vis their politics towards anything Obama does? And for Uncle Cameron to fall for this and misinform the Ghanaian populace on the subject is, to say the least, very disappointing.
  
  The only explanation one can offer for this behavior is that Uncle Cameron has joined the partisan bandwagon.
  
  And for Kwabena Yeboah, please don't parrot this falsehood.

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• Kwabena Yeboah 9 years ago

  Of course you are missing something tragic in your cognition. Cameron Duodo was right on point in his analysis as usual, and those of us who are cognitively adroit appreciate his body of works.
  
  Ask yourself why the Senator ...
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  Of course you are missing something tragic in your cognition. Cameron Duodo was right on point in his analysis as usual, and those of us who are cognitively adroit appreciate his body of works.
  
  Ask yourself why the Senators' letter capped the appropriation bill at $10 million for each GITMO detainee? You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that was the price John Mahama received for each detainee. The Senators could have recommended an absolute suspension of all aid to Ghana, but instead they capped it at $10 million in relation to the price paid. Please stop being emotional and use your head.

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• Jojo Hammond, New Jersey 9 years ago

  So your high cognition did not provide any fact, your submission is based on inference. If the threat of reduction of aid to Ghana was to be from a (potential) appropriation bill for 2017, can we then assume that the alleged ...
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  So your high cognition did not provide any fact, your submission is based on inference. If the threat of reduction of aid to Ghana was to be from a (potential) appropriation bill for 2017, can we then assume that the alleged money given to Ghana for the 2 ex-Gitmo detainees came from appropriation for 2016, right? Can you or Uncle Cameron prove that? The Senators never mention any money/aid given to Ghana directly for the detainees' presence in Ghana. You are just drawing a very dangerous, in my opinion, inference.
  
  US is a country of laws. The US President cannot appropriate any money willy-nilly if Congress has not approved. My whole argument is that both you and Uncle Cameron did not provide any evidence of the serious allegation you are both making, that is, that US government, basically, bribed Ghana to accept the ex-Gitmo detainees.
  
  All you have with your high cognition is an inference.

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• Kwabena Yeboah 9 years ago

  Obama's policy to close the base was part of his presidential campaign promise. If you understand the functions of the Senate Appropriation Committee as you seem to imply, then you should know that for a US Presidential candi ...
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  Obama's policy to close the base was part of his presidential campaign promise. If you understand the functions of the Senate Appropriation Committee as you seem to imply, then you should know that for a US Presidential candidate to win an election it means the American electorate approve of his policies. At this point, the US Senate Appropriation Committee has no option but approve the administration's budget for the newly elected President to execute his policies. This budget drawn by Obama administration at the inception of his administration would include funds for closing Gitmo.
  
  Obama already has funds sufficient enough to close Gitmo This was a campaign promise and he won the election, and Congress has no power over the choices he makes in regard to executing his policies, unless there is criminality involved.
  
  There is a stark difference between inference and perception, and cognitive adroitness is perception - that is, ones ability to understand or notice something easily. And you have studied logic, then it shouldn't take you long to figure this one out. This is what I am telling you, Jojo, and you can take it to the bank.
  
  To give you an example, Ronald Reagan promised the American people to free the Americans captured in the American embassy in Iran and also defeat the Communist Nicaraguan junta . Because these were Reagan's electoral promise, funds were allocated to his administration by the Senate Appropriation Committee to do just that without an oversight. However, Reagan got himself into trouble with Iran-Contra deal in executing the policies and was sanctioned by the Congress.
  
  My point in this discourse is that, when the US President goes to the people and announce his policy and he is voted to office, Congress has no option but to allocate funds the the new President to execute his policies. Obama already has the funds to close Gitmo, and he gave Mr. Mahama a cool $20 million. It is as clear as water.

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• Jojo Hammond, New Jersey 9 years ago

  Obama's policy to close Gitmo is opposed by the Congress, at least by the current Republicnas in the Senate. But you state that money has already been allocated to close it, because closing Gitmo is Obama's policy. So every ...
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  Obama's policy to close Gitmo is opposed by the Congress, at least by the current Republicnas in the Senate. But you state that money has already been allocated to close it, because closing Gitmo is Obama's policy. So every policy of a US president is automatically funded because he won elections, right?
  
  Funds are allocated/appropriated in the US by Congress for specific purposes and no one, not even the president of the US has the power to spend money not specifically appropriated.
  
  By your own logic, somewhere in the appropriation bills for 2016, approved in 2015, provision was made for the closing of Gitmo, and out of these funds, Obama gave $20m to Ghana for the 2 Yemenis now in Ghana. Just let this sink in. Think about it. If this is so, that money could easily be traced, right?
  
  Congress WILL NEVER appropriate funds to any President for a policy Congress opposes. Obama wanted massive infrastructural developments/projects, Congress has not allowed it because Congress opposes that policy.
  
  My point was and still remains this: Both you and Uncle Cameron have not been able to prove that Obama get $20m to Ghana for the 2 ex-Gitmo detainees. Using the language of the 4 Republican Senators in their letter as a proof of such money being paid is a stretch, and you know it. You have no other concrete proof and the Senators' letter did not make such a claim either.
  
  Yours is a political game being played in a worst way.

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• Kwabena Yeboah 9 years ago

  There comes a time when a man must lick his wounds and walk away in a battle. You don't give up, eh?
  
  Let us review Obama's major policy achievements since the inception of his administration: To end the Iraq war and bring ...
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  There comes a time when a man must lick his wounds and walk away in a battle. You don't give up, eh?
  
  Let us review Obama's major policy achievements since the inception of his administration: To end the Iraq war and bring soldiers home (he has achieved this); to reduce drastically American soldiers in combat in Afghanistan(achieved); close Gitmo base (not yet); To make healthcare accessible to all Americans(achieved); to open up diplomatic relations with the Communist Cuba (achieved).
  
  The Republicans opposed virtually all of these policies. But guess what, the Senate Appropriation Committee funded all his programs to enable him to achieve almost all of them. Even the universal healthcare accessibility which was a bone of contention (the Republicans pet pea) between Democrats and Republicans was funded by the Senators. Why is it so, Jojo? These were Obama's big ticket items in the campaign leading to his election. He went to the American electorate and sold them on these policies and they agreed and voted for him. Congress or the Senate cannot deny his administration by withholding funds.
  
  Let me reiterate position Uncle Cameron and I hold, i.e., there was monetary consideration in accepting the Gitmo 2 into Ghana by the Mahama government, and the request by the four Senators to cap US aid to Ghana by $10 million per each detainee, is incontrovertible fact John Mahama received a cool $20 million from the Obama administration before allowing the Gitmo 2 into the country. This is a fact.

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• KINGCR8IVE BRIGHT 9 years ago

  Never again would Ghana accommodate a reckless, INCOMPETENT, corrupt and a dead goat president. Neither can we entertain a liar and TERRORIST FRIENDLY good for nothing president.

  Never again would Ghana accommodate a reckless, INCOMPETENT, corrupt and a dead goat president. Neither can we entertain a liar and TERRORIST FRIENDLY good for nothing president.

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• Mohammed Moe Ali 9 years ago

  This is what happened when your president is from the North or a Muslim, all dumb bullshit will be accepted....stupid and uneducated bastard president.

  This is what happened when your president is from the North or a Muslim, all dumb bullshit will be accepted....stupid and uneducated bastard president.

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• Kwaku Manu 9 years ago

  Mohammed Moi Ali,
  Your comment is not fair. Mahama did not consult Mark Woyongo, Minister of the Interior, even though Woyongo is from the North.
  
  Indeed, not all Northereners support Mahama's adventurism over this Gitmo ...
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  Mohammed Moi Ali,
  Your comment is not fair. Mahama did not consult Mark Woyongo, Minister of the Interior, even though Woyongo is from the North.
  
  Indeed, not all Northereners support Mahama's adventurism over this Gitmo issue, because they are next door to Burkina Faso and we have seen how easy it is for people to infiltrate from Burkina to Northern Ghana (one of Compaore's ex-guards was caught there recently).
  
  Apart from self-interest, many Northerners are not Muslims. And those who are Muslims include many who are very friendly towards strangers, especially their Southern brothers.
  
  So don't make a silly equation like Mahama = all Northerners.
  
  Attrack Mahama for what he has done (many Northerners will agree with such an attack). But please leave the rest alone. Religious or Ethnic Prejudice against whole peoples is frowned upon by all decent people.

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