Where to Put Gitmo Prisoners...

[ccbatson]

What is wrong with the Governor's Mansion? Once she is out of office, we can consider moving it to wherever she goes.

[bailey]

Fairly interesting rebuttal by people who actually know what they are talking about.....

A group of former national security officials and military officers who have worked on the Guantanamo Bay military tribunals have written a letter to Rep. Pete Hoekstra criticizing him for “politicizing” the debate over a possible plan to transfer Gitmo detainees to a maximum security prison in Standish, Michigan.
The writers of the letter include Lt. Col. Stephen Abraham, a highly decorated retired military intelligence officer and JAG attorney who was assigned to the military tribunals at Gitmo and blew the whistle on what he called trumped up charges against many being held there; Vice Admiral Lee Gunn, former deputy national security adviser; and Michael Kraft, a former senior adviser to the State Department Counterterrorism Office. The full text of the letter below:

Representative Hoekstra:
As military and national security officials who have spent our entire careers fighting to protect the American people and the defend country from attack, we all agree that the prison facility at Guantanamo Bay needs to be closed-as do five former Secretaries of State, Gen. David Petraeus, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates. We also agree with you that the discussion over closing Guantanamo and moving the detainees to a new facility needs to occur, as you have said, in a “civil and rational way.” That is why we were disappointed last week-during a town hall meeting in Standish, MI, whose prison is a possible site to detain terror suspects -to hear you politicize such a critical national security issue and disseminate misrepresentations and exaggerations about closing Guantanamo and the possibility of housing terrorist suspects on American soil. In doing so, you spread fear in order to score political points, and perpetuate the Bush/Cheney era strategy of seeking political victories instead of doing what’s right to protect the country.
According to reports, you said there was “much to fear” if the detainees came to Standish. Standish tavern owner Dave Munson stated your comments “scared the heck out [him]…soft targets and safe zones, that if they came to this country they would have rights, visitors and friends would come who could be jihadists.” But you also acknowledged that the Supermax Facility in Florence, CO-which houses terrorists like Ramzi Yousef, mastermind of the first World Trade Center attack who was captured in Pakistan, Zacharias Moussaoui, convicted in connection to the attacks on 9/11, as well as the East Africa Embassy bombers-has never had a major incident or attempted jailbreak. And indeed American prison facilities-and the men and women who work there-have proven themselves extremely capable of protecting American lives while also imprisoning dangerous terrorists; even after decades, we have never had a major incident tied to the domestic imprisonment of terrorists.
The former warden of the Supermax facility said prisoners “spend up to 23 hours a day in their cells, every minute, every meal. The window in their cell is blocked so they can’t see the mountains.” Yet you stated that detainees housed in America “would have greater opportunities to command and control their networks through outsiders and to spread radical jihadist ideology.” The Supermax warden also stated that Ramzi Yousef has never left his cell. If the same-if not stricter-standards are applied to Guantanamo detainees held domestically, then how exactly would they command terrorist networks overseas?
You also said in the past that you “have no doubt that we could move these folks into a prison in Michigan. We could move them into a maximum security prison perhaps anywhere around the country. And there’s no doubt in my mind that we could probably contain them and hold them and they wouldn’t escape.” Do you still believe this to be the case?
You also stated in testimony to the Michigan Senate Judiciary Committee that “making Michigan home to the world’s most dangerous terrorists will not make it more attractive for tourists, families or potential job providers.” We ask if you can say with certainty that Colorado’s economy has been negatively affected by housing terrorists in the Florence facility-or the economies of Illinois, New York City, or North Carolina, for that matter-which have all held or detained some of the world’s most dangerous terrorists?
The bottom line is while the Administration should provide a clear plan for closing Guantanamo and transferring detainees, we should also not allow the destructive politics of fear, which tarnish America’s national security imperatives, to dictate the debate. By stirring up panic and distorting reality for political purposes, you do a disservice to the people of Michigan and the United States. Politicizing national security for partisan gain has dangerous consequences for effectively defending this country and protecting American lives.
You yourself once demanded that “partisan political games have no place when it comes to national security.” We ask you to live up to your own standards when it comes to discussing Guantanamo Bay and detainees. Whether it’s in Standish Michigan or the halls of Congress, politicizing national security is always dangerous. We ask you to return the debate to the “civil and rational” in order to stop the spreading of fear that plays into the very hands of the enemies we are trying to defeat.
Sincerely,
Lt. Col. Stephen Abraham [[US Army Res. Ret.), Office for the Administrative Review of the Detention of Enemy Combatants at Guantanamo Bay, 2004-2005
Maj. Gen. Paul D. Eaton [[USA, Ret.), National Security Network Senior Adviser
Lt. Gen. Robert Gard, Jr. [[USA Ret.)
Vice Admiral Lee Gunn [[USN, Ret.)
Lt. Gen. Donald Kerrick [[USA, Ret.), Former Deputy National Security Adviser
Richard Clarke, Former head of counterterrorism at the National Security Council
Margaret Henoch, Retired Senior Officer, Central Intelligence Agency
Jonathan Winer, Former Deputy Assistant Sec. of State for International Law Enforcement
Vic Comras, Former State Department Minister Counselor
Michael Kraft, Former Senior Advisor, State Department Counterterrorism Office

[firstandten]

I guess because Pete Hoektra and Mike Rogers are on the select committee on Intelligence that gives them the right to dictate what the people of Standish want, while ignoring Bart Stupak who is responsible for that area.

Why should anyone pay attention to Hoektra he's just another crazed RW'er from the west side of the state who wants to be governor. He and Rogers will oppose anything coming from a democrat because they been directed by their fearless leader John Boner.. er Boehner to "just say no".

They are so good at fear mongering they would have you afraid to go to sleep at night instead of the boogey-man its the Islamic jihadist thats coming to get you !!

Besides the real hard core guys are at super-max, while you might have some hard core guys at Gitmo you have a lot of goat-herders and taxi-drivers that just got swept up

[ccbatson]

Welcome Bailey...additional rational thought to counter the incessant leftist banter on Dyes is always welcomed [[by other rational people here).

[firstandten]

Welcome Bailey...additional rational thought to counter the incessant leftist banter on Dyes is always welcomed [[by other rational people here).

incessant leftist banter can't have rational thoughts attached ???

I guess only the folks on the right have rational thoughts.

[ccbatson]

Unless they can prove otherwise, you have hit the nail on the head Firstandten.

[firstandten]

Unless they can prove otherwise, you have hit the nail on the head Firstandten.

If what you say is true Cc, I missed the nail completely and hit my hand instead...

ouch... thats hurts

[ccbatson]

Better get some ice on that then.

[elganned]

Did you check his insurance before issuing that medical advice, bats?
And get his billing address?
Are you sure you don't want to run a few tests, first? An MRI, or an ultrasound at least?
And don't forget to prescribe some pain-killers; your buddies over at Pharma will be disappointed if you don't.

[Lorax]

Good post, Elganned.

I can't add anything to make it more spot-on. Cheers!

[bailey]

Welcome Bailey...additional rational thought to counter the incessant leftist banter on Dyes is always welcomed [[by other rational people here).

Thanks for the kind words, and quite frankly, I would consider myself to be a centrist....however, I think you may have missed the jist of the letter I posted. The drafters were specifically decrying and rejecting the politicizing of the Gitmo debate by right wingers like Hoekstra.

[elganned]

Bats isn't a right-winger. He's a "ME!"-winger.

[ccbatson]

Thank you Elganned, that is nearly accurate...more precise would be to say that I am an individualist [[or objectivist if you like).

[firstandten]

Thank you Elganned, that is nearly accurate...more precise would be to say that I am an individualist [[or objectivist if you like).

Ayn Rand follower ??

[ccbatson]

Very much so [[but not in lock step 100%...for instance on abortion and religion...I think I could have given her a run for her money debating those areas if she were alive)