Study: US jails could handle Guantanamo detainees

[DonViejo]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Dianne Feinstein says a new government report shows the controversial detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, could be closed and the detainees moved to the United States without harming national security.

Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, released a Government Accountability Office study Wednesday that says U.S. prisons could safely absorb all 166 detainees now held at Guantanamo. Many of the detainees are accused of plotting terrorist acts against the United States.

The California Democrat says the study shows that U.S. prisons already hold 373 prisoners convicted of terrorism in 98 facilitates across the country, with no known security problems reported.

The report does say that existing facilities would need to be modified and current inmates may need to be relocated to make room for the Guantanamo detainees.

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Read more: http://www.salon.com/2012/11/29/study_us_jails_could_handle_guantanamo_detainees/

[zipplewrath]

1. Of course they should probably get trials first

Probably won't happen. At best tribunals. But even that is taking years. Not sure how our prison system will deal with people being "indefinitely detained" on the Presidents sole authority.

[Diclotican]

4. zipplewrath

zipplewrath

Should that be any more different than having ordinary prisoners in a prison for life?.. You do know you have a lot of pepole who never wil be out as free men for less crimes than the ones who is at Gutanamo Bay, accused for terrorism..

Diclotican

[Solly Mack]

2. US jails could handle American war criminals too.

Alas...

[msanthrope]

3. Good Diane--Now bring the resolution to the floor. The President already signed the

Executive Order to close, but Congress passed legislation to block that.


So now do your job and bring the resolution to the floor.

[jody]

5. Did president sign the bill to make it law? nt

[msanthrope]

6. The Senate passed the rider 90-6. We didn't have the votes to pass, and if he'd vetoed,

he would have nixed not just a pay raise for the military, but extension of healthcare benefits to kids under Tricare.

Article 1, Section 8 is a not easily overcome.

[jody]

7. Thanks. Would have been interesting to have seen a “signing statement” ala Dubya saying “Acknowledge

Sec. 1027 but the executive branch has authority to use funds authorized by other acts to relocate prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to federal prisons in the United States.

‘‘National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012’’.
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr1540enr/pdf/BILLS-112hr1540enr.pdf

SEC. 1027. PROHIBITION ON THE USE OF FUNDS FOR THE TRANSFER
OR RELEASE OF INDIVIDUALS DETAINED AT UNITED
STATES NAVAL STATION, GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA.
None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act
for fiscal year 2012 may be used to transfer, release, or assist
in the transfer or release to or within the United States, its territories,
or possessions of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed or any other
detainee who—
(1) is not a United States citizen or a member of the
Armed Forces of the United States; and
(2) is or was held on or after January 20, 2009, at United
States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by the Department
of Defense.

[freshwest]

9. Yes, I watsched this play out back then. In January, will we have enough votes?

[msanthrope]

10. No. It's the worst case of NIMBY, ever. nt

[freshwest]

11. I remember the move being turned down and even costing local towns jobs and money over facilities

that were built to house them. The Islamophobia that has been whipped up regarding these folks down in Gitmo has not been quenched yet. Perhaps some blue states would agree to take them in so they can get better treatment. We have facilities in this country.

I know a doctor who did a stint at a stateside mental hospital with almost all foreign nationals, not from Gitmo, though. She said they did all they could for their psychological problems, but he people she was dealing with, nothing worked.

Sending them home wouldn't work, since their countries absolutely refused to take them back. They were too mentally ill to be set loose any time in the forseeable future.

I want Gitmo closed and give that land back to Cuba. I don't know how long the USA has had that piece of land, though, it was a mystery to me when I first learned of the place.

[JackRiddler]

8. Heck, US jails could handle 1/5 of the Cuban population.