The Associated Press’s Devlin Barrett spoke with Eric Holder during a flight to London Sunday, in advance of the Attorney General’s meetings this week with his European counterparts, in which he will undoubtedly face questions about Obama administration plans for reversing Bush-era policies on torture and indefinite detention.
Toward that end, Holder on Sunday made a stop at the fabled Tower of London, where for centuries England’s rulers sent their wives, siblings, nephews and other enemies of the state for torture and execution. Subtle, huh?
On Gitmo: President Obama has set a January deadline for closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. But before the camp can be shut down, the U.S. has to sort through which detainees to put on trial, and which should be released, Holder told the AP. “I think we’re probably relatively close to making some calls,” he said.