Boehner on Gitmo

Release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement after the Obama Administration circulated a draft executive order calling for the closure of the terrorist detainee facility at Guantanamo Bay and halting all trials at the facility:

“Republicans want to work with our President to protect our troops on the battlefield and keep America safe, but there are important questions that must be answered before the terrorist detainee facility at Guantanamo Bay can be closed.

“The key question is where do you put these terrorists? Do you bring them inside our borders? Do you release them back into the battlefield? Is it really necessary to suspend the trial of Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the avowed mastermind of the September 11 plot, even though he has objected to the delay? If there is a better solution, we’re open to hearing it. But most communities around America don’t want dangerous terrorists imported into their neighborhoods, and I can’t blame them. As long as it is necessary to protect our national security interests, the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay should remain open.”

NOTE: The Associated Press recently reported that detainees who have been held but released from Guantanamo Bay are “increasingly returning to the fight against the United States and its allies.” The report says 61 terrorist detainees released have rejoined the fight.

This should come as a surprise to absolutely nobody who reads this site regularly but I agree with Republican Leader, my Congressman and a Great American -- John Boehner.