Gitmo detainees could come to Midwest
Some of the U.S. Congressmen who vowed “not in my backyard” during debates regarding where to send Guantánamo detainees after the facility is shuttered are in for an unpleasant surprise. According to the Associated Press, the Obama administration is “looking at creating a courtroom-within-a-prison complex in the U.S. to house suspected terrorists” in America’s heartland.
A state prison in Michigan and the 134-year-old military penitentiary in Kansas are both on the short list of locations for the site. If chosen, the facility would hold the 229 suspected terrorists from Guantánamo prison.
Needless to say, not everyone is pleased with this plan.
“The administration is going to face a severe public backlash unless it shelves this plan and goes back to the drawing board,” said a spokesman for Rep. John Boehner (R-OH). Congress has already shot down the White House’s request
to bring detainees home earlier this year, citing safety concerns.
But meanwhile, some argue the combined facilities would increase safety. Because the courtroom would be inside the prison, the detainees who can be prosecuted would not have to be transported out of the facility for trial.
All is not settled. A host of legal questions surround the proposal, including how the courts will select juries and how the White House will get around jurisdiction laws in moving the prisoners.