Senator McConnell’s Column on Keeping Terrorists in Guantanamo and Out of the Heartland
July 24, 2007
After the horror of September 11, I would never have believed anyone could advocate deliberately inviting terrorists to be transferred to the American heartland. But stunningly, that is essentially the plan offered by some in the U.S. Senate.
Several days ago during a Senate debate, Democrats proposed moving detained terrorists, who have sworn to kill Americans, out of the secure facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and right into our country—and keeping them here.
I suspect most Kentuckians don’t want terrorists housed in their backyards. And while I know things can be a lot different in California, Massachusetts or New York, I’m pretty sure the people there are no more eager to welcome these new neighbors.
So I offered a different proposal: an amendment expressing the view of the Senate that it is better for the safety and security of the American people if terrorists at Guantanamo Bay are not moved into American communities.
To no one’s surprise, nearly every Senator supported my amendment. It passed 94 to 3. But it’s scary that liberal Democrats suggested bringing them here in the first place.
Some liberals are determined to close the Guantanamo detention center. They act as if it were a modern-day Soviet gulag.
But the reality doesn’t match their hyperbole. After an inspection last year, a Belgian police official said, “At the level of detention facilities, it is a model prison, where people are treated better than in Belgian prisons.”
I’ve visited Guantanamo, and based on what I saw, that assessment seems accurate. When I toured the facility, the first detainee I came across was working out on a recumbent exercise bike.
But if you don’t believe me, listen to some of the complaints registered by the terrorist detainees themselves. One detainee has alleged that he and others were given “cheap branded, unscented soap.”
Concerns over scented soap aside, the fundamental question is, what should we do with these dangerous terrorist detainees? We could send them back to be detained in their own countries. We could make some changes to the Guantanamo facility, or send them to a different overseas detention facility.
But the absolute last thing we should do is willingly place enemy terrorists captured on the battlefield in any one of the 50 states of the Union.
Some don’t seem to realize that what matters is making the American people safer, not pleasing the Eastern media elites or some in foreign capitals. I for one sleep more soundly knowing 528 miles of ocean separate these dangerous men from the United States.
After all, the terrorists housed in Guantanamo include Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks. They include men who were caught developing plans and recruiting followers to poison our water reservoirs, bomb our gas stations, and cripple the Brooklyn Bridge. We must not give these terrorists free tickets that bring them even closer to their targets.
Some foolishly still hold a pre-9/11 approach to fighting terror, and they want to treat terrorists like ordinary criminals. We must recognize the profound peril these people pose to America and her citizens. They have declared war on us, and we must fight back.
The first step is not to welcome the enemy into the neighborhood.
*Senator McConnell is the Senate Republican Leader and only the second Kentuckian to lead his party in the U.S. Senate.
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Several days ago during a Senate debate, Democrats proposed moving detained terrorists, who have sworn to kill Americans, out of the secure facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and right into our country—and keeping them here.
I suspect most Kentuckians don’t want terrorists housed in their backyards. And while I know things can be a lot different in California, Massachusetts or New York, I’m pretty sure the people there are no more eager to welcome these new neighbors.
So I offered a different proposal: an amendment expressing the view of the Senate that it is better for the safety and security of the American people if terrorists at Guantanamo Bay are not moved into American communities.
To no one’s surprise, nearly every Senator supported my amendment. It passed 94 to 3. But it’s scary that liberal Democrats suggested bringing them here in the first place.
Some liberals are determined to close the Guantanamo detention center. They act as if it were a modern-day Soviet gulag.
But the reality doesn’t match their hyperbole. After an inspection last year, a Belgian police official said, “At the level of detention facilities, it is a model prison, where people are treated better than in Belgian prisons.”
I’ve visited Guantanamo, and based on what I saw, that assessment seems accurate. When I toured the facility, the first detainee I came across was working out on a recumbent exercise bike.
But if you don’t believe me, listen to some of the complaints registered by the terrorist detainees themselves. One detainee has alleged that he and others were given “cheap branded, unscented soap.”
Concerns over scented soap aside, the fundamental question is, what should we do with these dangerous terrorist detainees? We could send them back to be detained in their own countries. We could make some changes to the Guantanamo facility, or send them to a different overseas detention facility.
But the absolute last thing we should do is willingly place enemy terrorists captured on the battlefield in any one of the 50 states of the Union.
Some don’t seem to realize that what matters is making the American people safer, not pleasing the Eastern media elites or some in foreign capitals. I for one sleep more soundly knowing 528 miles of ocean separate these dangerous men from the United States.
After all, the terrorists housed in Guantanamo include Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks. They include men who were caught developing plans and recruiting followers to poison our water reservoirs, bomb our gas stations, and cripple the Brooklyn Bridge. We must not give these terrorists free tickets that bring them even closer to their targets.
Some foolishly still hold a pre-9/11 approach to fighting terror, and they want to treat terrorists like ordinary criminals. We must recognize the profound peril these people pose to America and her citizens. They have declared war on us, and we must fight back.
The first step is not to welcome the enemy into the neighborhood.
*Senator McConnell is the Senate Republican Leader and only the second Kentuckian to lead his party in the U.S. Senate.
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