With time running out on the lame-duck 111th Congress, lawmakers quietly adopted a provision that kills President Barack Obama’s plan to close down the Guantánamo Bay detention facility and transfer detainees to American soil. The maneuver was slipped into a $1.1 trillion year-end spending bill that the House approved 212-206. It is unclear who was responsible for the political subterfuge.

 

Despite the protests of lawmakers, especially Republicans, who objected to the idea of moving suspected terrorists to the mainland, some local communities have welcomed the idea of having detainees fill up nearby prisons that have been underutilized. Such a move would mean new correctional job opportunities for depressed economies.

 

In addition, two U.S. prisons, one in Florence, Colorado, and the other at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, are already holding convicted terrorists, some of whom are connected to al-Qaeda.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

House Acts to Block Closing of Gitmo (by Stephen Dinan, Washington Times)

Guantánamo Detainees: Kansas Scared, Michigan Says Bring ‘em On (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

Al-Qaeda Terrorists in U.S. Prisons? They’re Already Here (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

Montana Town Asks for Guantánamo Prisoners (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)