Because it was the petty action of a tyrant who knows older vets despise him, while he considers them to be ‘neo-colonialists’ pawns’?
There’s no other reason for it to be closed like this.
Obama and Reid thought it was going to make average Americans blame the GOP - rather than blame Obama’s refusal to negotiate in a democratic form (this from a guy who “negotiates” our future away with the Iranians and all of our enemies).