--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Long before, and fully independent of…" description: "\"Long before, and fully independent of, anything Congress did, President Obama made clear that he was going to preserve the indefinite detention system ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa3/glenn-greenwald-1215_anything_long-before-and-fully-independent-of-any_2411850.jpg" --- # Long before, and fully independent of, anything Congress… ![“Long before, and fully independent of, anything Congress did, President Obama made clear that he was going to preserve the indefinite detention system at Guantanamo even once he closed the camp. President Obama fully embraced indefinite detention - the defining injustice of Guantanamo - as his own…” quote by Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa3/glenn-greenwald-1215_anything_long-before-and-fully-independent-of-any_2411850.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa3/glenn-greenwald-1215_anything_long-before-and-fully-independent-of-any_2411850.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa3/glenn-greenwald-1215_anything_long-before-and-fully-independent-of-any_2411850.jpg) > “Long before, and fully independent of, anything Congress did, President Obama made clear that he was going to preserve the indefinite detention system at Guantanamo even once he closed the camp. President Obama fully embraced indefinite detention - the defining injustice of Guantanamo - as his own policy.” [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Obama pledged to keep Guantanamo detention despite closing the camp, showing commitment to indefinite detention policy **In simple terms:** Obama intended to retain indefinite detention at Guantanamo even after closure Key Takeaway Recognize policy commitments beyond public promises Themes politics human rights law policy justice Mood critical concerned analytical Type political legal ethical When to use this quote - Government decision‑making - human rights advocacy - legal analysis - public debate Key Concepts Indefinite detention executive power civil liberties Questions to Reflect On - What are the moral implications of indefinite detention? - How does executive policy shape legal standards? A Different Perspective Critics argue indefinite detention violates due process and international law ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress/) [Guantanamo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guantanamo/) [Indefinite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indefinite/) [Injustice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/injustice/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [System](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/system/) ## Related quotes > [What made Guantanamo such a travesty - and what still makes it such - is that it is a system of indefinite detention whereby…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/what-made-guantanamo-such-a-travesty-and-what-still-makes-it-such-is/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [President Obama's decision not to go to Congress for help in establishing reasonable standards for the continued detention of Guantanamo detainees is a failure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/president-obama-s-decision-not-to-go-to-congress-for-help-in/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) > [ There are many instances in which those at the uppermost levels of the White House were feeling the President \[Barack Obama\] was not fully… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/there-are-many-instances-in-which-those-at-the-uppermost-levels-of/) [Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/) > [“In Boumediene v. Bush, the Supreme Court held that the United States’ exercise of authority over Guantánamo gave the detainees a constitutional right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/in-boumediene-v-bush-the-supreme-court-held-that-the-united-states/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [“Because American values and legal traditions do not permit the indefinite detention of people beyond our borders.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/because-american-values-and-legal-traditions-do-not-permit-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [American values and legal traditions do not permit the indefinite detention of people beyond our borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/american-values-and-legal-traditions-do-not-permit-the-indefinite/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The stress that they're under is absolutely extreme. Indefinite detention. Not knowing when you're going to get out. The threat of being sent back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-mcgorry/the-stress-that-they-re-under-is-absolutely-extreme-indefinite/) Patrick McGorry > [We are all under sentence of death, but with a sort of indefinite reprieve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/we-are-all-under-sentence-of-death-but-with-a-sort-of-indefinite/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [I have no time for specialized concerns, working themes or variations that lead to mastery... I like the indefinite, the boundless; I like continual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/i-have-no-time-for-specialized-concerns-working-themes-or-variations/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [“Sometimes, the indefinite article 'an' seems unnecessary to me. We can use 'a' instead of 'an'. It will not create a huge problem if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/md-ziaul-haque/sometimes-the-indefinite-article-an-seems-unnecessary-to-me-we-can/) [Md. Ziaul Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/md-ziaul-haque/) > [There is a line between a definite maybe and an indefinite yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/there-is-a-line-between-a-definite-maybe-and-an-indefinite-yes/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [While many people are trying to be in tune with infinite, what they really are is in tune with the indefinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-butterworth/while-many-people-are-trying-to-be-in-tune-with-infinite-what-they/) [Eric Butterworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-butterworth/) > [Indefinite plans get dubious results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/indefinite-plans-get-dubious-results/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [Hell is indefinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-williams/hell-is-indefinite/) [Charles Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-williams/) > [“Spiritual activity, education, civilization, culture, the idea are all vague, indefinite concepts, under the banner of which it is quite convenient to use words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/spiritual-activity-education-civilization-culture-the-idea-are-all/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) ## More by Glenn Greenwald > [In essence, I see the value of journalism as resting in a twofold mission: informing the public of accurate and vital information, and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/in-essence-i-see-the-value-of-journalism-as-resting-in-a-twofold/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“The evidence shows that assurances that surveillance is only targeted at those who “have done something wrong” should provide little comfort, since a state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-evidence-shows-that-assurances-that-surveillance-is-only-targeted/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“It's almost hard to imagine anything more undemocratic than the view that political officials should not debate American wars in public, but only express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-almost-hard-to-imagine-anything-more-undemocratic-than-the-view/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [It's hardly news that the Obama administration is intensely and, in many respects, unprecedentedly hostile toward the news-gathering process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-hardly-news-that-the-obama-administration-is-intensely-and-in/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [Only In America can a renowned and devoted terrorism supporter like Peter King be the arbiter of national security and treason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/only-in-america-can-a-renowned-and-devoted-terrorism-supporter-like/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Above even our physical well-being, a central value is keeping the state out of the private realm—our “persons, houses, papers, and effects,” as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/above-even-our-physical-well-being-a-central-value-is-keeping-the/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“That capability at any time could be turned around on the American people and no American would have any privacy left, such is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/that-capability-at-any-time-could-be-turned-around-on-the-american/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Converting the Internet into a system of surveillance thus guts it of its core potential. Worse, it turns the Internet into a tool of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/converting-the-internet-into-a-system-of-surveillance-thus-guts-it-of/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“the desire for privacy is shared by us all as an essential, not ancillary, part of what it means to be human. We all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-desire-for-privacy-is-shared-by-us-all-as-an-essential-not/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [I don't have a 'side'—I'm responsible for what I say and nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/i-don-t-have-a-side-i-m-responsible-for-what-i-say-and-nothing-else/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Encryption matters, and it is not just for spies and philanderers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/encryption-matters-and-it-is-not-just-for-spies-and-philanderers/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Among other devices, the agency intercepts and tampers with routers and servers manufactured by Cisco to direct large amounts of Internet traffic back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/among-other-devices-the-agency-intercepts-and-tampers-with-routers/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“NSA has increasingly made use of a secret technology that enables it to enter and alter data in computers even if they are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/nsa-has-increasingly-made-use-of-a-secret-technology-that-enables-it/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [A key purpose of journalism is to provide an adversarial check on those who wield the greatest power by shining a light on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/a-key-purpose-of-journalism-is-to-provide-an-adversarial-check-on/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“We all instinctively understand that the private realm is where we can act, think, speak, write, experiment, and choose how to be, away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/we-all-instinctively-understand-that-the-private-realm-is-where-we/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) [Explore all 270 Glenn Greenwald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) ## More Anything quotes > [I guess I've never really wanted to be anything else. I've never even thought about having another job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-farrell/i-guess-i-ve-never-really-wanted-to-be-anything-else-i-ve-never-even/) [Owen Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-farrell/) > [I would give anything to be able to kick a ball with my son or read the kids a bedtime story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-burrow/i-would-give-anything-to-be-able-to-kick-a-ball-with-my-son-or-read/) [Rob Burrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-burrow/) > [Comfort food is really anything you want at that time. That said, I really love Naple-style pizza.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-zakarian/comfort-food-is-really-anything-you-want-at-that-time-that-said-i/) [Geoffrey Zakarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-zakarian/) > [I haven't shut any doors, and I'm really open to anything, so I think it's just about the material and what is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-panabaker/i-haven-t-shut-any-doors-and-i-m-really-open-to-anything-so-i-think/) [Danielle Panabaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-panabaker/) > [When it really comes down to it, the job you do is more important and is more representative of who you are than your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/when-it-really-comes-down-to-it-the-job-you-do-is-more-important-and/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) > [The reason I'm drawn to it is - both the off road racing and the motorcycles on the track - it takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/the-reason-i-m-drawn-to-it-is-both-the-off-road-racing-and-the/) [Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/) > [I never did drama at school. I did it for one term, when it was compulsory, and I hated it. Tennis was the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-mitchell/i-never-did-drama-at-school-i-did-it-for-one-term-when-it-was/) [Luke Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-mitchell/) > [We live in such a special time when literally anything we can think of is possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-willey/we-live-in-such-a-special-time-when-literally-anything-we-can-think/) [Daniel Willey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-willey/) > [You know, I'm from Baltimore; nobody has anything. When somebody had talent, I was hiring my uncle, my cousin, you know? Getting people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sisqo/you-know-i-m-from-baltimore-nobody-has-anything-when-somebody-had/) [Sisqo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sisqo/) > [I said to my agent, 'I want short, sharp, well-paid jobs because I haven't got time for anything else.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-whitelaw/i-said-to-my-agent-i-want-short-sharp-well-paid-jobs-because-i-haven/) [Billie Whitelaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-whitelaw/) > [I think anything that anyone writes thats any good is going to have a lot of autobiography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/i-think-anything-that-anyone-writes-thats-any-good-is-going-to-have-a/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [If the Bible is correct, and the Earth is only 6,000 years old, that means there were no dinosaurs, and museum curators have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-shock/if-the-bible-is-correct-and-the-earth-is-only-6-000-years-old-that/) [Ron Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-shock/) > [Don't do anything drastic like getting your eyebrows tattooed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-lee/don-t-do-anything-drastic-like-getting-your-eyebrows-tattooed/) [Greta Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-lee/) > [Whenever you define family as anything other than a man and a woman married together, you have just introduced an ethical nightmare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-evans/whenever-you-define-family-as-anything-other-than-a-man-and-a-woman/) [Tony Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-evans/) > [No lusting after your neighbor's house - or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don't set your heart on anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moses/no-lusting-after-your-neighbor-s-house-or-wife-or-servant-or-maid-or/) [Moses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moses/) Browse all 9,437 Anything quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Long before, and fully independent of, anything Congress did, President Obama made clear that he was going to preserve the indefinite detention system at Guantanamo even once he closed the camp. 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