Politico.com is reporting President Obama may have enough votes from Congressional Democrats to move forward with his plan to move prisoners from the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to a facility in rural Illinois, but though the plan hasn’t even been implemented, conservatives are predictably gnashing their teeth at the idea. In pushing the plan to move prisoners from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, the Obama administration is hoping to deprive Al Qaeda of a key piece of propaganda:
“In taking this action, we are removing from terrorist organizations around the world the recruiting tool that Guantanamo has come to symbolize,” National Security Adviser James Jones told reporters.“Today’s announcement that the federal government will acquire the Thomson Correctional Center in Thomson, Illinois, to house federal inmates and a limited number of detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is an important step forward as we work to achieve our national security objectives,” another top administration official said in a conference call with reporters.
Republicans, ever eager to attack President Obama, have been quick to criticize the plan, with House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) calling the plan “preposterous,” and he went on to say the plan showed White House “must’ve forgotten” the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks:
“I think the administration wasn’t around for 9/11,” Boehner said after emerging from a weekly meeting with House Republicans.
It’s worth noting the governor of Illinois, as well as both the state’s U.S. Senators, support the plan to bring detainees to the Thomson Correctional Center in Thomson, Illinois. The number of detainees to be housed at Thomson Correctional Center would likely number under 100, while the number of jobs created as a result of housing detainees at Thomson Correction Center would number somewhere near 3,000.
I’ve heard the conservative arguments and attacks against housing detainees from Guantanamo Bay in Illinois, and I think they’re all bunk, for lack of a better word. Moving detainees out of Guantanamo Bay and into a more “normal” holding facility takes away an important piece of recruiting propaganda from Al Qaeda, while also moving our country back into the mainstream when it comes to how we treat prisoners. It’s time for the United States to once again lead by example when it comes to the humane a fair treatment of prisoners in our custody, even those who wish to destroy our nation.
Yeah, the attacks on this plan are pure politics. This is a good plan, good for America, and probably even saves money.
No, not Bunk nor pure politics. Quite the contrary. Here’s why…
This shift does NOT take away the housing of these detainees. It merely shifts it to another focal point. So to say that it removes a recruiting tool is at best clever marketing; or at worst – it’s a lie. Either way, shame shame and a finger-wave for thinking that we’d all buy that bunk.
And, it may even be MORE of a recruiting tool since the new focal point would be in the heartland of the U.S. i.e. it’d make a much better headline world-wide if protests are in IL rather than in G’tmo.
Also, it is likely fiscally more responsible to keep the status quo.
And, to say that G’tmo is not up to normal standards is pure political spin.
Instead, PLEASE show us all a plan that is fiscally responsible, and is devoid of spin like this and … maybe I’ll back ya. But a spin filled unnecessary expense will be met with opposition any day of the week.
Explain to me how it is better to house them in Illinois? These guys are in essence military prisoners of war, what is wrong with keeping them on a military base? Will the Illinios facility need to be retrofitted to be protected against a possible terrorist strike on this site?
Remember Michael Moore’s “Sicko” where he takes a raft up to Gitmo and says prisoners there have better health care than some Americans? Ok, you can’t have it both ways. The Left can’t say it is substandard but also say they are treated well. What evidence is there that they are not treated well and why is this remedied simply by transporting them to Illinois? I guess it all boils down to that Illinois wasn’t Bush’s idea.
*What evidence is there that they are not treated well and why is this remedied simply by transporting them to Illinois?*
Answer: Marketing magic. i.e. The same iterrogation methods used on ME! now (ahaaaaa!) magically = torture. The Same treament that Michael Moore implied was better than what our citizens get, now (ahaaaaa!) magically = substandard. AND! merely moving things to Illinois will (ahaaaaa!) magically make it all better ==> at best it’s Marketing Magic. At worst it’s outright lieing to themselves and the folks that soak it up. Or I suppose there’s a 3rd option….that evidence and facts do not matter, because it’s simply an emotional issue.