Obama Administration: Yeah, released Gitmo detainees are responsible for Americans deaths...

And they just don't care...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Americans have been killed by prisoners released from the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a senior Defense Department official told lawmakers Wednesday, triggering sharp criticism from Republicans opposed to shuttering the facility in the wake of deadly attacks by the Islamic State group in Brussels and Paris.

Paul Lewis, the Pentagon's special envoy for Guantanamo detention closure, declined to provide the GOP-led House Foreign Affairs Committee with details. He would not say whether the incidents occurred before or after President Barack Obama took office in January 2009.

"What I can tell you is unfortunately there have been Americans that have died because of (Guantanamo) detainees," Lewis said during an exchange with Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif.

While you weren't looking, Obama released 5 more Gitmo detainees...

Is Obama notifying Congress of these releases or is he ignoring the law again? 

Via FOX News:

The Defense Department announced Wednesday that five more prisoners will be transferred out of Guantanamo Bay to another nation, in the latest step by the Obama administration to whittle down the prisoner population in pursuit of ultimately closing the camp.
The five men will be transferred to the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan for resettlement, the U.S. government announced.
The two men from Tunisia and three from Yemen -- who have been at the camp for a dozen years -- had been cleared for release from the prison by a government task force but could not be sent to their homelands. The U.S. has sent hundreds of prisoners from Guantanamo to third countries but this is the first time Kazakhstan has accepted any for resettlement.
Their release brings the prison population at Guantanamo to 127, according to a Pentagon statement on Tuesday.

Good News: Demo Sen. Dianne Feinstein has commissioned a federal report on moving terrorists to your town...

Is Senator Feinstein the only person in America who thinks this is a good idea? 

Via Fox News:

The Democratic chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence committee has commissioned a federal report to identify prison facilities in the U.S. that are suitable for housing Guantanamo detainees, a document exclusively reviewed by Fox News shows.

In the internal document, the Government Accountability Office refers to “Source of Work: Ms. Dianne Feinstein, Chair, Select Committee on Intelligence, U.S. Senate” and lists the “Gist of Work” as an investigation into whether domestic facilities could house the approximately 170 detainees remaining at the controversial facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Two hours after Fox News’ inquiry about the report, Feinstein’s office posted the report online and released a statement confirming that the California senator thinks the Obama administration’s controversial plan to relocate detainees to the United States is a viable option.

“This report demonstrates that if the political will exists, we could finally close Guantanamo without imperiling our national security,” Feinstein said. “The GAO report makes clear that numerous prisons exist inside the United States — operated by both the Department of Defense and the Department of Justice—capable of holding the 166 detainees who remain at Guantanamo in an environment that meets the security requirements.”

Keep reading…

Not Only is Obama not closing Gitmo, he is spending millions on soccer fields and “enriching your life” classes for detainees

I support leaving Gitmo open, but spending millions on soccer fields and “enriching your life” classes is asinine.

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba -- The U.S.-run Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba, targeted for closure by Barack Obama during his campaign for the presidency, is instead quietly undergoing millions of dollars of upgrades that could allow it to remain open for years as a prison for suspected terrorists, NBC News has learned.

Among the recent improvements to the facility commonly known as “Gitmo”: a heavily guarded soccer field for detainees known as “Super Rec,” which cost nearly $750,000 and opened this week; cable television in a communal living quarters and “enriching your life” classes for detainees, which include instruction on learning to paint, writing a resume -- even handling personal finances.

“Well, that's one class, but it’s not a popular (one),” Army Col. Donnie Thomas, commander of the military guards at camp, said with a laugh. “But it’s a class. It’s just to keep these guys busy.”

Can we send the hikers Iran just released back?

At a press conference after their release, they denounced Iran Gitmo. What were these two moonbats doing hiking along the Iraq-Iran border anyway?

Obama Gives Huge Boost to Terrorist Recruitment

President Barack Obama, May 21, 2009:

In our constitutional system, prolonged detention should not be the decision of any one man. 

Candidate Barack Obama Jun 16 2008:

And it is my firm belief that we can track terrorists, we can crack down on threats against the United States, but we can do so within the constraints of our Constitution. And there has been no evidence on their part that we can't.

And, you know, let's take the example of Guantanamo. What we know is that, in previous terrorist attacks -- for example, the first attack against the World Trade Center, we were able to arrest those responsible, put them on trial. They are currently in U.S. prisons, incapacitated.

And the fact that the administration has not tried to do that has created a situation where not only have we never actually put many of these folks on trial, but we have destroyed our credibility when it comes to rule of law all around the world, and given a huge boost to terrorist recruitment in countries that say, "Look, this is how the United States treats Muslims."

President Obama has signed an executive order(one man decision) to indefinitely detain suspected terrorists at Gitmo. If candidate Obama was correct, he has just given a huge boost to terrorist recruitment worldwide.

(WaPo)- President Obama signed an executive order Monday that will create a formal system of indefinite detention for those held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, who continue to pose a significant threat to national security. The administration also said it will start new military commission trials for detainees there.

It Is Unanimous. Gitmo Is Not Closing.

The House Armed Services Committee has voted unanimously to refuse any funding for construction or modification of any facility in the U.S. to detain or imprison individuals currently being held at Guantanamo Bay. This looks like it may be the end for President Obama's inaugural day speech promise to close Gitmo. He had promised to do it last year, but is now several months behind schedule.

The Politico reported:

President Barack Obama’s hopes of closing the Guantanamo Bay prison for terror suspects is slipping further away..

“The committee firmly believes that the construction or modification of any facility in the U.S. to detain or imprison individuals currently being held at Guantanamo must be accompanied by a thorough and comprehensive plan that outlines the merits, costs and risks associated with utilizing such a facility. No such plan has been presented to date,” according to a summary released by the House Armed Services Committee.

Shocker! Terrorists May Sue to Stay in Gitmo!

Hilarious! After years of liberals complaining about horrid treatment of detainees and trying to force the closure of the Guantánamo Bay detention facility, the terrorists housed there are likely to file legal action to stay. This tidbit buried in a blog by Newsweek's ace reporter Michael Isikoff must really steam liberals. Isikoff quotes the terrorists attorney.

Falkoff notes that many of his clients, while they clearly want to go home, are at least being held under Geneva Convention conditions in Guantánamo. At Thomson, he notes, the plans call for them to be thrown into the equivalent of a "supermax" security prison under near-lockdown conditions.

"As far as our clients are concerned, it's probably preferable for them to remain at Guantánamo," he says.

Terrorists prefer sunny Gitmo and Geneva Convention treatment to a cold and dreary Supermax prison.

Poll: Americans remain opposed to closing the Guantanamo Bay prison

Opposition to closing Gitmo is basically unchanged in the last six months. Sixty-four percent oppose closing Gitmo and bringing the terrorists here.

According to Gallop polling,

PRINCETON, NJ -- Americans remain opposed to closing the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba and moving some of the terrorist suspects being held there to U.S. prisons: 30% favor such actions, while 64% do not. These attitudes could present a significant roadblock for President Obama at a time when he seeks congressional approval to move terrorist suspects from Guantanamo to a converted state prison in northwestern Illinois.

Many Standish Residents Don't Want Gitmo Terrorists In Their Town

Although Standish, Michigan is a town on the edge of bankruptcy, many residents are opposing the bid by their local leaders to use a mostly closed local prison to house terrorists from Guantanamo Bay.

A sign jutting from an open patch of ground is the first clue to the business of Standish: "Prison area. Do not pick up hitchhikers."

Further along the road into the small, isolated Michigan town, a 16ft-high chain link fence topped with razor wire glistens...

"No Gitmo" say their signs.

75% Worried About Gitmo Closing

A new Rasmussen poll has found fifty-five percent of Americans now oppose closing the Guantanamo Bay terrorist detention center. Support has been dwindling since President Obama announced the plan. Most Americans don't want a terrorist moving in next door.

From Rasmussen:

Seventy-five percent (75%) of U.S. voters are at least somewhat concerned that dangerous terrorists will be set free if the Guantanamo prison camp is closed and some prisoners are transferred to other countries. Fifty-six percent (56%) are very concerned.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just 24% are not concerned about the potential danger.

Support for the president’ s plan to close the prison camp for suspected terrorists at the Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba continues to erode. It’s been steadily dropping since Obama announced the camp closure just after taking office in January. Only 32% of voters now favor closing the prison camp, down six points from May and down 12 points since the President announced his decision in January.

Fifty-five percent (55%) now oppose closing the prison, with 13% not sure. In January, just after the president announced his decision, just 42% were opposed.

Obama's team is now unsure if Gitmo is closing in January

It was obvious to most American's that Guantanamo Bay was not going to close in January. The remaining terrorists at Gitmo are very dangerous. No other country wants them and Americans won't tolerate terrorists moved into their neighborhoods.

From the Wall Street Journal:

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration's counterterrorism chief appeared to provide the first indication the administration may not make its January deadline for closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay in remarks Thursday that aimed to outline a new path for combating terrorism.

Answering questions after his speech at the Washington think tank, Mr. Brennan said, "I don't have a crystal ball that I can say with certainty" that the prison at Guantanamo Bay will be closed on time.

Obama Releases US Diplomat's Murder From Gitmo

Friday, The Obama administration released Ahmed Zuhair from Guanatanamo Bay’s prison. He will be sent to Saudi Arabia and allegedly rehabilitated. Ahmed Zuhairwas involved in the murder of a US citizen working for the UN in Bosnia in 1995. Hot Air reported:

Yesterday, the Obama administration announced that it had released Ahmed Zuhair from Guanatanamo Bay’s prison and transferred him to Saudi Arabia’s terrorist rehabilitation program. The Los Angeles Times informs its readers why exactly we held Zuhair at Gitmo for as long as we did. Zuhair was involved in the murder of an American working for the UN in Bosnia in 1995:

The detainees were sent back to Saudi Arabia, their home country, where officials will review their cases before sending them to a rehabilitation program. One of them was identified as Ahmed Zuhair, a relatively high profile detainee who, has been protesting his detention since 2005 through a hunger strike and has been force-fed liquid nutrients.

During a hearing in Guantanamo in October 2004, Zuhair was accused of involvement in the 1995 killing in Bosnia-Herzegovina of William Jefferson, a U.S. official with the United Nations. At the tribunal, U.S. officials said Jefferson’s watch was found on Zuhair.

Zuhair also was convicted in absentia by a Bosnian court in a 1997 car bombing in the town of Mostar. He also allegedly told another detainee he was involved in the bombing of the U.S. destroyer Cole in 2000, according to evidence presented at a Guantanamo proceeding.

Obama Refuses to Rule Out Releasing Terrorists in US

President Obama is having great difficulty with his plan to close Gitmo by January. This week he sent some Uighur detainees to Bermuda, a British territory, and angered the British because they were not consulted. The Guardian reported:

The foreign secretary, David Miliband, is understood to have had a tense telephone conversation with the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, about why London was not consulted about the resettlement of the four men, despite the fact that Britain has colonial powers over Bermuda's foreign and security policy.

Congress overwhelmingly voted to refuse closure funding over fears terrorists would be released in the US. President Obama is refusing to rule out this option.
AP reported via Google Hosted News:

WASHINGTON (AP) — A White House spokesman says the Obama administration hasn't decided whether or not to release Guantanamo Bay detainees in the United States.

Spokesman Robert Gibbs said President Barack Obama has made clear "we're not going to make any decision about transfer or release that threatens the security of this country."

Asked if that meant he was ruling out releasing any detainees in the United States, Gibbs said: "I'm not ruling it in or ruling it out."

A tentative plan to release some Guantanamo detainees in the United States drew fierce opposition from Republicans and many Democrats in Congress, forcing the Obama administration to shelve the plan to bring some Chinese Muslims known as Uighurs to Virginia. The Uighur detainees at Guantanamo were found not to be enemy combatants by the Pentagon, but few nations have been willing to accept them, out of fear of angering China.

This past week, four of the 17 Uighurs being held at Guantanamo were sent to Bermuda, and the Pacific islands nation of Palau said it would accept others.

Obama brings terrorism to US for the first time

President Obama has made his first move in an attempt to close Gitmo and bring terrorists to US soil. USA Today reported:

Obama wants to send Gitmo terrorists to Australia

I seriously doubt Australia will be putting any shrimp on the barbie for these terrorists anytime soon. They have previously turned down a Bush administration request to take some of them. President Obama has come to the realization that bringing any of them here is political suicide, but he boxed himself into a corner by promising his left wing supporters he would close Guantanamo Bay by next January. Make some popcorn. This could get interesting. Reuters is reporting:

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The United States has made a new request for Australia to accept a group of detainees from Guantanamo Bay for resettlement, a government spokeswoman said on Saturday.

The request is the first by President Barack Obama's administration, which plans to close down the detention camp in Cuba within the next year.

Media reports have said the request involves a group of Uighurs from China's largely Muslim western province of Xinjiang. Beijing has reportedly been pressing Washington to return them to China, but U.S. officials have expressed concerns about their likely treatment there.

Earlier requests for resettlement in Australia late last year by former president George W. Bush's administration were turned down by Canberra in January on "national security and immigration" grounds.

A spokeswoman for Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith confirmed the new request had been received.

RHINO Powell educates Obama on realities of closing Gitmo

Colin Powell said President Bush wanted to close Gitmo, but there wasn't any realistic way of doing it. President Obama wants to bring the terrorists to the US. Poawel may be a Republican in name onlt, but he is smarter than that. According to CBS News:

"I think President Obama didn't handle it very well by going up to the Congress and asking for $80 million without a plan. And by, frankly, giving enough time to opponents of it to marshal their forces as to why we shouldn't do this," he said.

Powell said that he has lobbied for Guantanamo to be closed or the last six years and that he went to his boss, former President Bush, with his concerns.

He even said that President Bush wanted to close the prison, but could not figure out how to- a point he used to answer criticism from former Vice President Dick Cheney.

"Mr. Cheney is not only disagreeing with President Obama's policy. He's disagreeing with President Bush's policy. President Bush stated repeatedly to international audiences and to the country that he wanted to close Guantanamo. The problem he had was he couldn't get all the pieces together," Powell said.

He said he was not buying "the business" that the United States would be less safe should the prisoners be transported to U.S. prisons.

Obama spokesman admitted today that their decision to close Gitmo was "hasty " (video)

Obama administration admits closing Gitmo was a "Hasty Decision" (Video)