Obama's Anti-Terror Policies Frustrated by Senate

WASHINGTON — Two days after his inauguration, Barack Obama signed executive orders banning harsh interrogation techniques and requiring that military detention facilities at Cuba’s Guantanamo Bay be closed within a year.

Four months later, though, Congress stands in the way of the Guantanamo shutdown by withholding funds. Conservatives, led by former vice president Dick Cheney, are criticizing Obama’s decision to release Bush administration memos approving the interrogation techniques. Liberal groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union are fuming at his refusal to seek prosecutions, release photos and end military tribunals.