As a Member of the Homeland Security Committee, I have been watching with great interest President Obama’s executive order to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay in the next year.  The president has suggested moving the terror suspects currently housed at Guantanamo to other military facilities on U.S. soil. 

The president has cited a number of reasons for closing the base, including increased safety and consideration of the constitutional rights of the prisoners. The president said in an interview this week on “The Today Show” that we needed to “balance what’s going to keep the American people safe and the constitutional rights of those we imprison.”

Right now, there are approximately 245 detainees still located at Guantanamo Bay.  Based on the president’s Executive Order, we don’t know the specific details yet of where the detainees will go once the detention center is closed and the exact implications of the move on the possible prosecution of the terror suspects.

Under the president’s plan, the former inmates of Guantanamo Bay could be housed in any number of other military facilities inside the U.S., including: Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; the U.S. Naval Consolidated Brig close to Charleston, SC; Camp Pendleton, CA; and the Administrative Maximum Facility, Colorado.

There is also a concern about what happens to terrorists after they are released from Guantanamo. Recently a former Guantanamo prisoner named Abu al-Hareth Muhammad al-Oufi  appeared in an al-Qaida video from Yemen. There are also approximately 60 detainees who cannot be returned to their country of origin as they could face mistreatment or even death.  There are some in the European Union that have indicated they may take some of the detainees, but only if they don’t threaten their national security.

The decision to move the Guantanamo Bay detainees is very important and is one that should not be made quickly or in haste. There are many important questions that need to be answered before I am comfortable with the scenario of moving the terror suspects from Guantanamo to other military bases on U.S. soil.  I look forward to hearing definitive answers on where detainees will go upon closure of Guantanamo.  I would also like to see alternative plans presented instead of making a snap decision based on political opinion.

As President Obama continues to meet with his military advisors on this very important issue, they will have many important decisions to make. Those commanders who have served on the ground at the base in Cuba will best know the situation to advise and develop any alternative plans. It is my hope they will make the best decisions possible for the country’s national security. 

If you have any questions or concerns on this issue or on any other legislative matter I can be of service on, please feel free to contact my office by phone at (202) 225-4324.

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