More on Imprisoning Gitmo Detainees in Illinois
EmailAt 3 pm ET, today at the White House, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., will be briefed on the plans to transfer Guantanamo Bay detainees to Thomson Correctional Center in Illinois by National Security Adviser Gen. Jim Jones (Ret.), Vice Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. James "Hoss” Cartwright, USMC, and possibly Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.
The brief, I am told, will be brief.
Then the crew will come out to the White House stakeout cameras to announce the deal and take a few questions.
There has been some preparation for today’s announcement.
Last month, for instance, the president’s Council of Economic Advisers looked at potential job creation in Thomson, Illinois, if the correctional center there becomes the new home of Gitmo detainees.
Over the first four years, the CEA assessment states, the facility would create 840 – 910 temporary jobs and 3,180 – 3,880 ongoing jobs, increasing local earnings by a cumulative $793 to $1,015 million.
"Approximately 80% of all of the jobs created by the facility will be held by people residing in Illinois, while people in Iowa will fill the remaining jobs," the study states. "These jobs could reduce the unemployment rate in Carroll County, Illinois, where Thomson is located, by 2 to 4 percentage points."
The report prompted one skeptic — Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky — to say sarcastically that the estimate is from the CEA, "the same crowd who nailed the projection that the stimulus would keep the unemployment rate under 8 percent. I’m sure it will be right on target."
The Gitmo detainees transferred to Illinois, I'm told, would NOT be the ones tried in civilian courts. They would be the ones tried by military tribunal, the candidates for indefinite detention, and those set to be transferred to other countries. The detainees to be tried in civilian courts would be imprisoned in the jurisdictions in which they will be tried, e.g, Southern District of New York.
There are currently dozens of prisoners in US maximum security facilities who have been convicted of terrorism-related charges, including Omar Abdel-Rahman, Zacarias Moussaoui, Richard Reid, Theodore Kaczynski, Terry Nichols, Ramzi Yousef, Ahmed Ressam, Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, and Wadih el-Hage.
That said, in May FBI Director Robert Mueller said putting Gitmo detainees in U.S. prisons could be dangerous.
"There is a potential for radicalization in a number of ways, whether it be for gang activity, for terrorist groups, for other extremists," he said.
So we'll have to see what Mueller says about this move. So far: no comment from the FBI.
-jpt
Sen. DeMint: GOP Race Could Go Until Convention 
Obama Avoids Questions on Contraception Rule
Congratulations to the people of Illinois… If Obama insist on moving these dangerous terrorists into our country…DUH…I cannot think of a better state than Illinois…better Illinois than mine…
Posted by: Parallex View | December 15, 2009, 1:01 pm 1:01 pm
Keep them from the general population (as there are no other prisoners in this facility that is a given) and it is really difficult to see a downside to this. Terrorists aren’t radioactive or contagious. Lock them up in a proper concrete box in the Midwest and close the absurd Gitmo resort (a prison with people accused of being enemies of the state located mere hundreds of feet from a hostile power in a hurricane region with no land based support route? Are you serious?). It’ll save money, free up our military men and women from babysitting duties, and affirm the Constitutional rule of law on such issues (the government can generally do what’s necessary, but not the single Executive branch alone).
Posted by: jhw539 | December 15, 2009, 1:04 pm 1:04 pm
The Gitmo detainees transferred to Illinois, I’m told, would NOT be the ones tried in civilian courts. They would be the ones tried by military tribunal, the candidates for indefinite detention, and those set to be transferred to other countries.
=============
Indefinite detention in a federal prison in a US state. I don’t see how that works, or improves the situation over Gitmo.
Posted by: MayBee | December 15, 2009, 1:08 pm 1:08 pm
I’ve been looking at this from a different standpoint, and it almost makes me more uncomfortable than moving the terrorists into the country to begin with. We have seen several operations, individuals, plans, etc. shut down WITHIN our own borders in just the last 3-4 months, not to mention the HORRIBLE murders at Fort Hood. So, while we are thinking about the detainees who will be inside the prison, we should also be thinking about those people who will be put IN CHARGE of keeping them there. Will they be vetted to the fullest extent? Will we be secure in the fact that these “wardens” are not also Muslim extremists “covered up”? Will we know for certain that information is not being passed back and forth between the detainees and their keepers?
I’m not trying to be a conspiracy theorist, but I haven’t really heard any discussion about this possibility. After all, the 9/11 attacks were carried out by the bastards who were living, working and training right here inside the USA and if an attack at Fort Hood can happen right under our noses because “political correctness” kept him from being looked at harder, earlier, then I would think anything is possible.
Posted by: Shoe | December 15, 2009, 1:27 pm 1:27 pm
Indefinite detention in a federal prison in a US state. I don’t see how that works, or improves the situation over Gitmo.
MayBee | Dec 15, 2009 1:08:13 PM
For those concerned about Constitutional powers issues, it is a big deal. The ONLY reason prisoners were kept in Gitmo was the Bush administration was trying to exploit a loophole to avoid oversight by the Supreme Court. Bringing them within our borders clearly acknowledges the acceptance of Constitutional checks and balances.
There are also the benefits of no longer having our military play babysitter, higher security, lower costs, and projecting the image of the US trusting the rule of law ideals of Democracy that our men and women are dying to help spread.
Posted by: jhw539 | December 15, 2009, 1:29 pm 1:29 pm
For those concerned about Constitutional powers issues, it is a big deal.
==========
I’m saying, yes, it is a big deal that the administration thinks they are going to house prisoners indefinitely with no charges or convictions in a Federal prison in a US State. Of course that is a big deal.
In fact, the WH is now saying they will need Congress to pass a law to let them do that.
We’ll see what the courts say.
Posted by: MayBee | December 15, 2009, 1:33 pm 1:33 pm
I just wonder how this is going to turn out. The way gangs thrive and grow in the prison system makes me only wonder how many converts to Islam they might get and how many home grown terrorist as a result. Or will they be isolated from the rest of the population. And if Obama wants to hold them there indefinitely then I expect the left to ne outraged and call for his impeachment.
Posted by: 'Un-American' | December 15, 2009, 2:01 pm 2:01 pm
These detainees present less of threat to this country than the U.S. Congress.
If Americans are not yet afraid of their own Congressmen and Senators, there’s no need to fear these detainees. After all, the U.S. Congress routinely does more damage to this country than the detainees ever did.
Posted by: Doppelganger | December 15, 2009, 2:33 pm 2:33 pm
@ Parallex View, I hope you realize that terrorists don’t care what state or city you live in, they still want to get you regardless.
Posted by: Truth | December 15, 2009, 3:31 pm 3:31 pm
I was born and raised in Illinois, glad I don’t live there anymore. I’m not surprised though, Illinois is a very liberal controlled state.
Posted by: Bud | December 15, 2009, 5:50 pm 5:50 pm
Finally I havent heard anything about this since Obama was first elected…
Posted by: Ben Famous | December 15, 2009, 5:58 pm 5:58 pm
truth..I hope you realize the type of people that will now be invading this small town who houses these terrorists……look to any town who opens a prison Federal or otherwise, and ask the residents if they could do it all over again, would they want it in their area…
Posted by: Parallex View | December 15, 2009, 6:52 pm 6:52 pm