Cliff Sloan, Special Envoy for Guantanamo Closure, to Step Down
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Benjamin Haas/Hemera/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — Cliff Sloan, President Obama’s special envoy for Guantanamo closure, announced on Monday that he would step down from that role.
Obama has long pushed for the closure of Guantanamo Bay, a goal that has been repeatedly delayed. Under Sloan’s leadership, the U.S. has moved a number of detainees through the new Periodic Review Board process.
“[Sloan] is a guy who could’ve gone anywhere,” Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday, “but he chose this tough portfolio.” That choice, Kerry added, “says a lot about his character and commitment.”
“We’ve made huge progress thanks in large measure to Cliff,” Kerry said. “This guy promised me 18 months, and he delivered maximum effort for each of those 18 months.” His work, the secretary of state says, is “a big part of why we moved 34 detainees on his watch, with more on the way.”
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