Some Gitmo Detainees Headed to Illinois Prison, Obama Administration to Announce Tuesday

“Thomson Correctional Center is a maximum security prison that opened in 2001 but has never been fully utilized because of state budget issues.”
Gotta give the Obama administration high-marks for creativity: A govt. bail-out of a prison!

“This move makes a lot of sense.”
Yeah, until a jihadist strikes in a nearby community…

Yeah, until a jihadist strikes in a nearby community…
tjp612 | Dec 14, 2009 11:28:40 PM
Right – I guess we’re all safe now. The terrorist suspects are all being held in Cuba so it wouldn’t even occur to a jihadist to attack us here in the United States of FEAR FEAR FEAR.
Play with the kids, volunteer to help out with the Giving Tree at church, watch a game with some friends, something – anything – to get a grip on reality. The thugs in Gitmo are not radioactive or terrorist superstars with mind control powers.

Great,
Radical terrorist will be allowed to recruit inside U.S. Federal prisons. This will be a major problem in the near future. How is that “Hope and Chains” working for yea?

tjp612 nailed it. The Gitmo angle is just the excuse. Public outrage will stop the prisoner transfer but not the cash transfer to Obama’s Illinois buddies.

Public outrage will stop the prisoner transfer but not the cash transfer to Obama’s Illinois buddies.
deadman | Dec 15, 2009 12:34:32 AM
Note this folks, and when it NEVER HAPPENS remember it the next time you hear the Right confidently slandering someone.

Nothing good will come from this. I think Gitmo will be back shortly after the transfer is complete.

@Eric yes u are missing it. They are NOT US citizens therefore are NOT entitled to a trial like u or I much LESS a speedy one. They are really POW’s but we want to treat them like they have the same rights as US citizens. Uggggg

Tierra is right;Obama did say he would close Guantanamo Bay while campaigning for President. If Americans did not want these prisoners moved here then they should have voted for John McCain as President…. Personally I am opposed to the movement of the prisoners in part because of past situations in Russia and Israel. Both states house Islamic prisoners on their soil, and both have faced hostage crises and terror attacks by individuals hoping to get prisoners released. I am also concerned with the legal repercussions of a move. In Guantanamo Bay we are holding these people as prisoners of war/enemy combatants. I am assuming that here in the US they will be treated as any common criminal. If that is the case I don’t possibly see how they could be convicted of anything because any statements that they may have made concerning their guilt or innocence will have to be thrown out since I seriously doubt they were read their Miranda Rights or given immediate access to an attorney. I would also guess that they were not given the option “to remain silent.”It also seems that it would be impossible for them to receive trials heard by a jury of their peers, and of course these terrorists may intimidate jurors to vote for their innocence through threats and coercion.

Guess no one saw this over the week-end. Muslim rebels who have resumed peace talks with the Philippine government said Monday they were not behind a deadly jail break in the country’s volatile south that freed 31 criminals and guerrillas, including militants accused of beheadings.
About 70 attackers used a sledgehammer and bolt cutters Sunday to punch a hole in the provincial Basilan jail and spring 31 people, including alleged hard-core members of the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf group, officials said.
A guard and one of the attackers were killed as security forces dispatched helicopters to help track down the fleeing inmates, said Basilan Vice Gov. Al Rasheed Sakalahul.
Among those who escaped were five members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the main separatist group negotiating an autonomy for minority Muslims, and 12 from the smaller but more violent Abu Sayyaf, notorious for kidnappings, beheadings and bombings.

From NBC news in 2005…..
So the men were sent to America’s most secure federal prisons, eventually ending up at Supermax in Colorado, supposedly unable to do further harm.
Or so we thought. Letters and articles obtained by NBC News show that while behind bars, the 1993 bombers continued their terrorist activities. They wrote letters to other suspected terrorists and brazenly praised Osama bin Laden in Arabic newspapers.
According to confidential Spanish court documents obtained by NBC, at least 14 letters went back and forth between the World Trade Center bombers and a Spanish terror cell.
A copy of the envelope containing a letter sent in February 2003 from Salameh to Achraf.
In February 2003, bomber Mohammed Salameh writes: “Oh God! Make us live with happiness, make us die as martyrs, may we be united on the Day of Judgment.” The recipient, Mohamed Achraf, later allegedly led a plot to blow up the National Justice Building in Madrid and is awaiting trial.
In July 2002, a letter Salameh sent from prison is published in the Al-Quds newspaper, proclaiming “Osama Bin Laden is my hero of this generation.”
“He was exhorting acts of terrorism and helping recruit would-be terrorists for the jihad,” says McCarthy, “from inside an American prison.”
The letters to the bombers spoke of the need to “terminate the infidels” and said, “The Muslims don’t have any option other than jihad.”
Among those corresponding is a man charged with recruiting suicide operatives in Spain. Spanish officials accuse him of using letters to and from the U.S. bombers as a recruiting tool.
All this while the Bureau of Prisons reassured the public that terrorists were under control.

Posted by: Ferrari5858 | Dec 15, 2009 3:11:00 AM
I’m tempted to say it – all those terrorist letters and communications you point to got through on Bush’s watch, after 9/11. What’s up with that?

Posted by: Ferrari5858 | Dec 15, 2009 3:38:50 AM
Those letters and communications sent from terrorists in the United States were sent out of the United States in 2002 and 2003 (according to the dates you post) – on George Bush’s watch and after 9/11. What’s up with that?

This is a bad, bad decision!

“He could have used the one in Montana that was miles from nowhere but no he picks one in his own backyard. Amazing.”
-Gregor
Yes, it is amazing, when town of Hardin, Montana offered the turnkey solution of an empty prison the Right wouldn’t have it. No way, no how.
So now the prisoners end up someplace else. If you google for “gitmo prisoners Montana” you will get dozens of articles about this.
Obama ran on closing Gitmo, and won election. Where did everybody think the prisoners would go?

I live fifteen miles away from this facility. Look carefully at that picture above. See those groves of trees? Those are residential areas. The threat here is not from the inmates within the prison. It is from terrorists without. There is no way they can keep this facility safe from an attack to free the inmates. It’s not isolated enough.
Those of us who live in the heartland have balanced our downscale existence with the security of knowing we were not a prime target. That security is now gone.
I hope they save a cell for Barack Obama and that he moves in soon.

Outrageous !!
I hope they put these prisoners in Chicago.
Next door to Obama’s house.

We’ve been housing terrorists in maximum security prisons here for decades. What’s the big deal? We build maximum security prisons so we have a place to put bad guys.

I certainly hope that US POWs are never put in a max security prison. GITMO was perfect but the Obungler has bungled this decision. This administration has made an absolute mess of everything it has done. We have to throw out the Congress in 2010 and then Obama in 2012. He gives great speeches but is incompetent at anything else..

These terrorists won’t be any match for the gangs in prison. Put them in general population. They won’t last a year is my bet

Bookend the story with:
Critics heaped scorn on Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn on Monday over a secret prison program that allowed hundreds of inmates — some violent offenders — to be released early, including some who only spent 11 days behind bars.
Followed closely behind by:
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has suspended a program that allowed hundreds of inmates to be released early by earning credit for good behavior.
Am I worried a bit, living in Illinois? That would be an affirmative.

What an utter form of hypocrisy – the world’s #1 terrorist country kidnaps people from the streets of cities around the world, locks them indefinitely, no proof, no trial, no evidence and then claims that they are terrorists! No, no, Mr. Sam – you are terrorist, by large and by far the worst of it’s kind!
Posted by: Rafael_49 | Dec 15, 2009 8:07:41 AM
Right! When will Barack Obama stop his illegal wars against Muslims?!?!

Cynthia – there are more than just guards employed at a prison, you know. Someone has to feed the prisoners, someone has to clean the facility, maintain it, handle the paperwork, etc.

Mary —–57% of Americans oppose this health care legislation, but he presses on with it too. Since when has Obama listened to “we the people”?

Obo is the liar in chief. He said back in ’06 that people like KSM should be tried by a tribunal, now he thinks they deserve all of the rights of an American citizen. Why does Obo lie.
Google Obama KSM tribunal and watch Obo lie.

Why is this a big deal? I live in Illinois, and we have murderers, rapists, and child molesters behind bars here. NOW people flip a switch because “terrorists” are going to be kept here? 1.) These people are awaiting trial. 2.) They will be BEHIND BARS, no harm there. Please explain to me why this is a big deal? And if it has to do with the use of taxpayer dollars, I don’t want to hear it. We spend plenty on the current prisoners, and this will be allocated from that funding. Anyone?

Hello, I’m Korean students.
I read this article.

None of you people have your facts straight….I’m amazed at the jibberish that you protest to be fact…it’s all opinion!! Barak is doing as best a job as he can given he inherited a nightmare caused by 8 yrs of neglect and mismanagement…why don’t you all be true Americans and stand beside your president like real men instead of tearing it down-do something possitive…you all make me sick with disgust….what have you done lately to better the world than write your tiresome little blips?

Please explain to me why this is a big deal?
————-
Badfish, It’s a big deal for the same reason that many want to close Gitmo. Gitmo and the prisoners currently housed there now are symbols.
President Obama and many others believe that Islamic terrorists will stop hating the US if we close Gitmo because it is a symbol. I don’t share that view.
Closing Gitmo is not going to cause Islamic terrorists to suddenly stop hating us. They may, however, consider it a symbolic victory if they can release prisoners that were housed at Gitmo.
Just think about the recruiting message such a victory would be for terrorists!
I don’t want the citizens of Illinois (or of any US state) to be endangered by that type of extremist motivation.

President Obama and many others believe that Islamic terrorists will stop hating the US if we close Gitmo because it is a symbol. I don’t share that view.
___
What an extraordinarily preschool-level interpretation of what has been said.

malcat: I appreciate your balanced view on this. However, I will have to respectfully disagree. It’d be absurd to think that all of the Islamic Terrorists will stop hating us if we close down Gitmo. Otherwise, the war will be won.
I do agree with the fact that it will sort of scatter the rallying point for these Islamic Terrorists. When foreign combatants are captured, they go to Gitmo usually, no?
With Gitmo closing, and the suspected terrorists being shipped all over the country, we’ll have effectively eliminated the battle cry for these terrorists.
I highly doubt they will be able to rally around “Thomson Correctional Center”.
This is a small victory, but a victory none the less.

What an extraordinarily preschool-level interpretation of what has been said.
———–
Look, the Kumbya singing liberals have been saying terrorism only exists because of Bush, his wars, and Gitmo.
Bush is gone, Obama is supposed to end the wars, and now Gitmo is closing.
Seems that it is the Kumbya crowd who is simplistic

badfish: Then we shall have to disagree, I hope we can do it agreeably ;-)!
But the very fact the media is making such a big deal about this one prison only increases the likelihood that I will be right and that would be sheer HORROR!
I hope like heck you are right, and I am wrong. I’m not just hoping, I’m praying I’m wrong.

“I have never heard of or read about these terrorists attacking prisons in Europe or anyplace else in the world to free anyone.”
Until 9/11 happened, nobody had ever heard of commercial airliners being used for terrorist attacks either. How’d that turn out?

What an extraordinarily preschool-level interpretation of what has been said.
Posted by: Don’t EVER want to go back to the GOP-driven dark ages! | Dec 15, 2009 9:56:52 AM
——–
I apologize for not using bigger words or confusing my post with the complexity you seek.
But my statement is not changed by it’s simplicity. President Obama and many others believe closing Gitmo is going to change how Islamic extremists feel about the US. They hate us now, they will continue to hate us if/when Gitmo is emptied of prisoners.
Wait, I was wrong. Closing Gitmo and moving its prisoners to other prisons will alter Islamic extremists’ opinions of the US. They will think we are even more foolish than before.
Moving prisoners from a secluded, highly closed-off site in a country we don’t care for to a prison located only miles from one of our largest cities will look to them as a major mistake on our part.

Republicans are always blabbering on about an attack that MIGHT happen under President Obama, funny how the worst terrorist attack in this nations history DID happen under their watch.
SIT DOWN CLOWNS!!!

Republicans are always blabbering on about an attack that MIGHT happen under President Obama, funny how the worst terrorist attack in this nations history DID happen under their watch.
SIT DOWN CLOWNS!!!
————
Dave, I don’t want another terrorist attack in the US…..regardless of what party holds the WH.
As for 9/11, President Bush was in office less than 9 months. Planning and preparation had been in process long before 9/11/2001.
Who was in the WH before President Bush? Let me think….help me out someone….
And, the Republicans do not have to sit down, shut up, or otherwise obey you. This is America, all citizens (even spiteful people like you) maintain their civil rights regardless of party affiliation.

Posted by: BK | Dec 15, 2009 9:40:27 AM
I guess you didn’t hear about the Phillippine terrorist escape over the week-end after a break in from the outside from Muslim extremists, in all 31 terrorists escaped, 12 of which were Al Qaeda, accused of bombings, attacks and beheadings.

The jobs will be Federal Jobs and not go to local civilians; they have to be trained Federal employees who will come from around the country.
——–
Depending on how speedily this can all be done, it should be possible to train locals to meet federal standards for guards and so forth. As for other job functions, there should be no hinderance to hiring local applicants.
It is that area that will be placed at increased risks, people living there should be first in line for jobs.

Gregor wrote: “He could have used the one in Montana that was miles from nowhere but no he picks one in his own backyard. Amazing.”
Cynthia responded: “Yes, it is amazing, when town of Hardin, Montana offered the turnkey solution of an empty prison the Right wouldn’t have it. No way, no how. So now the prisoners end up someplace else. If you google for ‘gitmo prisoners Montana’ you will get dozens of articles about this.”
Both are clueless. The Hardin jail is a windowless crackerbox, a compilation of 24-bed cells wholly unsuitable for holding anything but minimum-security transient inmates. Empty since its completion in July 2007, it was built to enrich scam artists from Texas who made millions on it.
It is not the duty of the federal government to bail out every town in America from the consequences of their stupid and avoidable mistakes.

“It is not the duty of the federal government to bail out every town in America from the consequences of their stupid and avoidable mistakes.”
Sure doesn’t feel that way…

“I couldn’t care less about being tolerant of baggers and birthers.”
Come to think of it, progressives do make good fascists.

why don’t you all be true Americans and stand beside your president like real men instead of tearing it down-do something possitive…you all make me sick with disgust….what have you done lately to better the world than write your tiresome little blips?
———–rantings from Capt Ardy
——
First, I can’t stand beside the president as a real man because I am a real woman. Rather sexist to think all that post here are males.
Second, Americans have the right to praise or criticize any elected official. I even believe it is the obligation of American citizens to let all elected officials know how they feel; it is as important as voting.
Third, as for what I’ve done:
I’m former military.
I have paid all federal, state, local taxes since my first job..only been unemployed since age 18 for 3 weeks…I’m now 59.
I contribute a large portion of my income to charities along with significant chunks of time.
I have voted in every election since coming of age except one…a family crisis had me 200 miles from my polling place.
Could go on, but I think that gives me the right to post my ‘tiresome little blips’.

IF the dimwits in DC find it impossible to leave the murdering SOB’s in Gitmo, the least they could have done is give the contract to a state with numerous closed prisons and very high double digit unemployment. Secondly, if the dimwits just have to bring the murdering cowards to the USA, plant their butts next to Obama’s family, and the families of the other nitwits that approved this disasterous plan. I have come finally to the conclusion that in order to be a politician in DC you have got to be brain dead. No one with a working brain could possibly make these ridiculous and very dangerous decisions!

Hey cowards. We already have of 300 terrorsists in U. S jails right now. Including the guy who tried to blow up the world trade center the first time. These terrorists arent superhuman and can’t break through concrete walls or grow wings and fly away. They arent even that smart.They will be in a high security supermax prison where they will rot.We will have taken away a terrorist recruiting symbol and human rights violation with closing gitmo. so get over orama haters start putting your country first instead of politics.

FUNNY how CONSERVATIVES – who tout their love of FREEDOM – just can’t wait to go back to the DARK AGES when the king’s thugs could pick up anyone they wanted and throw them into the king’s dungeon, without worrying about nonsense like EVIDENCE and PROBABLY CAUSE. I thought we had a REVOLUTION a few years back that put a stop to that?

Those murdering scumbags in GITMO should have been executed 5 years ago.
The Geneva Convention does NOT “cover” terrorists from all over the WORLD waging “ideological/religious wars” on innocents thru terrorist acts! They’re not even uniformed!
People need to open their eyes!

Mphilly posted: “Those murdering scumbags in GITMO should have been executed 5 years ago.” You know, this post is a chilling reminder of how easy it was for the SS in Germany to recruit their murderous thugs. Here’s someone demanding that all these people be killed, even tho the US has little or no evidence against most of them (700 have been released), plus they were not allowed to contact attorneys or judges to contest the charges. Maybe Mphilly needs to spend some time in an Iranian prison and then he’d better appreciate the importantance of full due process of the laws.

you ask if this is shortsighted, how about a resounding YES. all we need is to have some terrorists sharing a prison with disgruntled bitter felony prisoners, and you have a fertile ground for recruiting home grown terrorists. good job Barry, NOT

The U.S. became a major supporter of the Afghan resistance, or mujahideen, working with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to set up Islamic schools in Pakistan for Afghan refugees. These schools later evolved into virtual training centers for Islamic radicals.
By the mid-1980s, bin Laden had moved to Afghanistan, where he established an organization, Maktab al-Khidimat (MAK), to recruit Islamic soldiers from around the world who later form the basis of an international network. The MAK maintained recruiting offices in Detroit and Brooklyn in the 1980s.
In 1989, bin Laden founded an organization to help veterans of the Afghan war, many of whom went on to fight in Bosnia, Chechnya, Somalia, and the Philippines. Scholars have suggested these loosely connected bands of seasoned soldiers, ready to fight for Islamic causes, form the basis of bin Laden’s current support.
…….
As noted above Al Qaeda has a history of using schools as recruitment and training centers for terrorists, it is also well known that they use prisons for recruitment purposes. The core of Al Qaeda was formed from soldiers fighting during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan where Bin Laden himself fought as a uniformed soldier in the resistance. He was part of a uniformed army, formed a group from that army, in my book that makes him and Al Qaeda enemy combatants not entitled to civilian trials or to be kept in civilian prisons.

“”"”"We will have taken away a terrorist recruiting symbol and human rights violation with closing gitmo.”"”"
Posted by: brian
You don’t seem to understand ALL Americans are a terrorist recruiting symbol. It’s not Gitmo they detest, it’s our way of life.

The terrorists are trained to use any established network, prisons, schools, mosques for recruitment as well as training, planning and funneling money. It doesn’t take long to do some research to see how many home grown terrorists have been recruited in our prisons already. And yet Obama thinks it is ok to have one of the masterminds of 9/11 become a teacher of terrorism in our prisons.

House Democrats are refusing to even allow Illinois legislators to see the files on these terrorists.
Rep. Hoekstra has seen the files and believes the people of Illinois should know the backgrounds of these people, but the Democrats in DC are refusing. Why?

But you won’t give the same protections to other people – just your own skin. VERY typical of ultra-right wingers!
Posted by: AlChemist | Dec 15, 2009 1:21:45 PM
Your boy Obama is trying to do just that. Hold them indefinitley. No different than Bush just not at Gitmo. You should be calling for his impeachment. Please do not be hypocritical.

The problem raised by this transfer is whether or not this prison passes Geneva Convention Art. III requirements. GTMO makes that test, but that took years working with the IRC. Moreover, it opens up American Courts who then get vested jurisdiction over Habeus appeals. In other words, this is a knee jerk reaction, and I don’t think it has been well thought out by the Adminsitration. They do not appear to appreciate the unique character of these detainees, and are treating these guys like common criminals caught dealing drugs on some street corner. This will backfire in my humble opinion, and I don’t think Congress will authorize the expenditures for the reasons stated above. Nor would it surprise me if the Admin. knows this and wants to lay the blame at Congressional feet.

AlChemist —- Getting picked up on the streets of Mexico is quite different than getting picked up in the middle of a war zone. Do you think those guys were over there on vacation? Several that we did let go (60 or so) returned to the fight…..against us! So much for any assumptions of innocence.

He isn’t closing Gitmo, he’s just moving it. After all, he only promised to get rid of it and he has. Promised fulfilled! Next!