Obama on Gitmo
Some of Oklahoma’s lawmakers have been alarmed at the idea that prisoners now being held in Guantanamo Bay could be moved to the United States, possibly even Oklahoma, if the Cuban prison is shut down by the Obama administration.
The stockade at Fort Sill has been mentioned as a possible holding place for Gitmo prisoners. However, the correctional facility was ordered to be shut down by the 2005 base closure commission; the operations were to be consolidated at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. That hasn’t happened yet, and a Fort Sill spokesperson said last month there was no timetable for shutting down the Fort Sill facility.
During a press briefing last week, President Barack Obama was asked about the possibility of Gitmo prisoners moving to Fort Leavenworth:
Q Thank you, Mr. President. You named a special envoy today to oversee the closure of Guantanamo. I’d like to ask you about that. Among the places being — possibly being considered as an alternative to those prisons is Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. There’s a wall of opposition –
THE PRESIDENT: Where my mother was born, by the way.
Q Exactly. There’s a wall of opposition to that — local officials, people in the area and plus from the congressional delegations of those states. How would you explain the rationale between the possibility — if a place like Leavenworth would be chosen, the rationale behind that, and reassuring people of their safety and security?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, keep in mind we haven’t made any decisions on this. But also recognize that these individuals who have been imprisoned, many of whom are very violent or who have been detained, many of whom are violent and are pledging violence against the United States, once captured are similar to criminals who have engaged in violence of other types. They are a serious risk, but so are many of the people who are currently in prison. And we would not — we would never put people into a situation that elevated the risks for surrounding communities. And that will obviously be something that we take very seriously as we’re making these decisions moving forward.
But we already have experience with terrorists who are in federal prisons. And there’s been no indication that the safety and security of prison guards or the surrounding communities have been compromised as a consequence. That doesn’t mean that it’s not a serious issue. I recognize why people are concerned. We haven’t made any firm decisions on this yet. But I have every confidence that we can determine the ultimate fates of those in Guantanamo in a way that’s consistent with our values, consistent with our ideals, and that keeps us safe and secure.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Obama, I hope you will not rush into this decision with the haste you have in other areas govermental actions.