Washington, D.C. —
Senator John Thune today issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s announcement that scores of terrorists will be transferred from the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to a prison in Illinois:
“Moving dangerous terrorists from a secure location in Cuba into the heartland of the United States is an irresponsible move that could endanger American lives. Instead of holding the terrorists outside the United States, President Obama has decided to move the Guantanamo detainees to a location only 450 miles from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It is a waste of taxpayer resources to move terrorists from the secure facility at Guantanamo, and it increases the risk that a federal judge may order an al Qaeda terrorist to be freed into American communities and neighborhoods. This flawed decision appears to be designed to appease the left wing of the Democrat party rather than to achieve an important national security objective.”
In May, the Senate passed an amendment by a vote of 90-6 that would prohibit funding from a supplemental appropriations bill to be used to transfer detainees from Guantanamo Bay into the United States.
“The Senate passed an amendment earlier this year clearly expressing our opposition to bringing the detainees into the United States,” added Thune. “The Obama Administration must work with Congress to establish a solution that enhances our national security and reflects the will of the American people.”
“Moving dangerous terrorists from a secure location in Cuba into the heartland of the United States is an irresponsible move that could endanger American lives. Instead of holding the terrorists outside the United States, President Obama has decided to move the Guantanamo detainees to a location only 450 miles from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It is a waste of taxpayer resources to move terrorists from the secure facility at Guantanamo, and it increases the risk that a federal judge may order an al Qaeda terrorist to be freed into American communities and neighborhoods. This flawed decision appears to be designed to appease the left wing of the Democrat party rather than to achieve an important national security objective.”
In May, the Senate passed an amendment by a vote of 90-6 that would prohibit funding from a supplemental appropriations bill to be used to transfer detainees from Guantanamo Bay into the United States.
“The Senate passed an amendment earlier this year clearly expressing our opposition to bringing the detainees into the United States,” added Thune. “The Obama Administration must work with Congress to establish a solution that enhances our national security and reflects the will of the American people.”