Republicans try to block Guantánamo detainees from prisons in their districts

[sabra]

Source: Guardian UK

Party members in Congress introduce legislation seeking to prevent inmates from being held near their electorates

Republicans in at least six states are seeking to block the White House from transferring Guantánamo Bay detainees to their districts, in what critics call an effort to stymie Barack Obama's efforts to close the prison.

Congressional Republicans have introduced bills that would bar the government from moving any of the 250 inmates to some of the most prominent military and civilian detention centres in the US, including a "supermax" high-security federal prison in Florence, Colorado, which holds at least 16 convicted international terrorists, and a South Carolina naval brig that holds the only enemy combatant jailed in America.

...

Last week, 20 Texas Republicans sent a letter to Obama urging him not to send Guantánamo detainees to their state. Sam Brownback, the Kansas senator, aims to keep detainees out of a military prison there, and an Arizona Republican has filed legislation that would prevent detainees from being shipped to federal civilian or military prisons.

...

The legislation is unlikely to pass, and Guantánamo and terrorism researchers say Republican security concerns are unfounded.

"If they think that US prisons can't hold terrorists without a good chance of those terrorists of running away and killing Americans, then I wonder why they haven't spent every waking hour of their lives in the Congress trying to fix that problem, considering that US prisons currently house some of the world's most dangerous convicted terrorists," said Tom Malinowski, Washington director of Human Rights Watch.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/16/guantanamo-republicans-prisons

[Uben]

1. Good.....

...then Obama should take away all federal funding for their prison systems. Fair is fair.

[RC]

2. Nooo, no no, no!

That would give the idiots a good excuse to privatize the prison systems the way they want.

[Earth_First]

3. The stimulus package passed without the GOP...

Fuck 'em. I agree with the response above. Deny all federal prison dollars to these districts IN ADDITION to any federal funding that would have been supplied by the stimulus package.

They want nothing to do with it. They get exactly that. NOTHING!

[Politicalboi]

4. All this "terrorist" bullshit

These guys most of them are innocent. I would let them all go. If terrorism was the problem the Mexican boarder would be sealed off for good. Instead we have open boarders for "terrorist" to sneak in. This is a bunch of shit. I wish President Obama would really look at the "War on Terror" and see it's all Bullshit. Right down to taking your shoes off at the airport.

[kpete]

5. Republicans try to block Guantánamo detainees from prisons in their districts

Source: Guardian UK

Republicans try to block Guantánamo detainees from prisons in their districts

Party members in Congress introduce legislation seeking to prevent inmates from being held near their electorates


Republicans in at least six states are seeking to block the White House from transferring Guantánamo Bay detainees to their districts, in what critics call an effort to stymie Barack Obama's efforts to close the prison.

Congressional Republicans have introduced bills that would bar the government from moving any of the 250 inmates to some of the most prominent military and civilian detention centres in the US, including a "supermax" high-security federal prison in Florence, Colorado, which holds at least 16 convicted international terrorists, and a South Carolina naval brig that holds the only enemy combatant jailed in America.

Obama, who signed an executive order during his first week as president to shut the six-year-old facility, has yet to release plans for the suspected terrorists who remain there. Critics say the pre-emptive legislation and media campaigns from Republicans – and at least one Democrat – are intended to defend George Bush's legacy against those who claim the prison has damaged America's standing in the world and has become a recruiting symbol for terrorists.

Last week, 20 Texas Republicans sent a letter to Obama urging him not to send Guantánamo detainees to their state. Sam Brownback, the Kansas senator, aims to keep detainees out of a military prison there, and an Arizona Republican has filed legislation that would prevent detainees from being shipped to federal civilian or military prisons.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/16/guantanamo-republicans-prisons

[saigon68]

6. ASS-Wipes

These scummy Re-Pukes belong in these prisons themselves

[Solly Mack]

9. What you said

[Robb]

7. Jobs.

Supermax prisons are largely fed funded, and currently (according to the guards' union) underfunded and understaffed.

Lord knows our prison system is too big, but these guys need to look at the employment picture; there's no way Gitmo detainees could land there without more funding, which would lead to more jobs in their districts.

[Winterblues]

8. Are they suggesting that prisons in their states are not capable of holding

people such as those at Gitmo? People that have never been charged with any crime not had any rights offered. Republicans feel offering Rights to people accused of wrongdoing isn't a wise course of action. And they call themselves Americans. The Constitution says People not Americans are guaranteed the Rights within. Why do "Americans" insist upon such Rights but want to deny others of those same Rights? It certainly is not an American mind set, but then neither is Torture or Warrant less spying upon Americans. How twisted their thinking has become.

[PatrynXX]

15. Either that or they want the detainees in prisons where it's easy to escape

so they can pin the blame on Obama.

[LeftyMom]

10. Then play the "Republicans don't care about national security" card.

All Obama has to say is, "we wanted to transfer the inmates to locations which are more firmly under our control and oversight and they played politics." Checkmate.

[jbfam4]

11. you are right

NIMBY pubs. They are just sooooo eager to reach out to help Obama.(not) Will we read about this in the U.S. papers?

Anything Senator John Cornyn does is suspect. The poor people in Texas.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

26. How would they be more under our control and oversight?

[LeftyMom]

27. Because it's a hell of a lot easier to inspect a facility when it's not in Cuba.

:shrug:

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

28. I thought you meant the prisoners would be under more control.

[marshall]

12. I thought Pelosi was taking them

California could certainly use the revenue from the federal government.

[LeftyMom]

13. California's having to let prisoners go for lack of space.

You can't put these guys in gen pop or they'll get shanked, so you have to scare up some long-term beds in a maximum security isolation unit before offering to take any.

[marshall]

16. Maybe Texas (or some other state) would make a trade

States farm out prisoners all the time to other states.
But these prisoners will not have to be housed on the state dime. They are federal prisoners and they will bring federal moneys into the state coffers.

[Xenotime]

14. I'm sorry. Where does it say that Rethugs have power anymore?

[LanternWaste]

17. Then it would appear that Republicans do trust our military...

Then it would appear that Republicans do trust our military to safely hold prisoners. Maybe a prominent Democrat should publicly ask, on a public stage why the republicans do not trust our military.

[classysassy]

22. Hello

will you take all of the republicans crooks,so they will be safe and cozy with their kind of people?.

[SpartanDem]

23. GOP=pussies

[damntexdem]

18. I still say that there's a nice, new place for them in Dallas.

With brand new gates and lots of security.

Any by "them," I don't care whether it's the Gitmo inmates or the obstructionist Rethuglicans. ;-)

[ohio2007]

19. Nothing wrong with Alcatraz island

That place offers no escape even thogh Nancy said "no" to the rock,it still is a good location

[crimsonblue]

21. It's a waste of money...

we have existing facilities that can safely house the Gitmo criminals. To refurbish Alcatraz would take billions of dollars, and would be an easy target, seeing as it is just sitting out there in the Ocean.

[Blue_Tires]

30. No one ever plans for Magneto until its too late....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKc4BWvWtuM

[crimsonblue]

20. Bring them all to Kansas..

The more the merrier, IMO. If nothing else, when I have kids, it would be a great way to whip them into line: "You see that prison there? It's full of evil terrorists. If you don't behave and start eating your green beans, your mother and I are going to send you there." :evilgrin:

[eppur_se_muova]

24. NIRBY! nt

[LynnTheDem]

25. Yes, can't have "bad guys" in republic party district jails!

Where would we put all the republic party!


Rightwingnuts; dumberest MFers by the day.

[Life Long Dem]

29. Go Republicans!

But seriously. Why not try out the new bracelets where they only need to stay in the vicinity of their districts? I couldn't help it!Seriously!:rofl: