Gitmo Catch-and-Release Confirmed

The Director of National Intelligence released this report tonight. The key paragraph reads:

As of 1 October 2010, 598 detainees have been transferred out of Department of Defense (DoD) custody at the U.S. Naval Base, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (GTMO) detention facility. The Intelligence Community assesses that 81 (13.5 percent) are confirmed and 69 (11.5 percent) are suspected of reengaging in terrorist or insurgent activities after transfer. Of the 150 former GTMO detainees assessed as confirmed or suspected of reengaging in terrorist or insurgent activities, the Intelligence Community assesses that 13 are dead, 54 are in custody, and 83 remain at large.

The WaPo report on this development quotes an administration official trying to give it a favorable spin:

But the administration official pointed out that the last administration "knew of recidivism, too, but went ahead because they, too, wanted to close" Guantanamo.

"Our record is still good, and the effort to close Gitmo is still worth it," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the report publicly.

Give it up, Mr. Anonymous Official. The attempt to close Gitmo has gone exactly nowhere for two years, and after today's report it is finally dead. And not just plain dead. To judge by the early reactions coming from key members of Congress, it is Sonny-Corleone-at-the-toll-booth dead.