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Washington, D.C. –Today, U.S. Congressman Henry E. Brown Jr. (R-SC) reaffirmed his commitment to the safety and security of this country when he signed Military Families United’s pledge to forbid the detainees at the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to be relocated into the First District of South Carolina. The letter asked each member of Congress if they were willing to provide housing to the detainees at Guantanamo Bay upon the closure of the facility within the year.
“Our troops have fought relentlessly to capture these terrorists and stop their attempts to kill innocent Americans. We must now do our parts to ensure that the detainees are kept in a secure location and not in the First District of South Carolina,” said Congressman Brown. “By signing this letter, I am reestablishing my solemn vow to protect my constituents and honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to make this country safer, more secure, and free from fear.”
“Military families around this nation would like to thank Congressman Brown today for pledging to put our country’s national security and the safety of our brave men and women in uniform at the forefront of this issue,” said Military Families United President John Ellsworth, whose son was killed in Iraq in 2004.
“Military Families United works to give our nation’s military families a voice and ensures that their sacrifices are not in vain. We hope that other members of Congress will join Congressman Brown and put the needs of our citizens above the privileges of the detainees.”
Text of the Letter is below
Dear Member of Congress,
Military Families United represents the brave men and women - our husbands, wives, sons and daughters - who risk their lives every day to protect this country from terrorism and the radical ideologies that support terrorism. Many courageous Americans have made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that our homeland would be safer, more secure, and free from fear.
At Military Families United, the nation's premier military family advocacy organization, we know how much you value your constituency. We understand the many hours you spend working on behalf of your district, and the effort you make to ensure that every veteran and active member of the military residing in your district is acknowledged and assisted. We also know how much your constituency values your sound judgment and consideration for their safety and our national security.
It is with all of this in mind that we ask you:
Are you willing to allow the detainees at Guantanamo Bay to be held in your district upon the closure of the facility?
There are currently approximately 245 detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay. Assuming President Obama follows through on his Executive Order to close this facility, these terrorists will need a new home in 2010. Since many countries are refusing to repatriate the Guantanamo Bay detainees, Americans may be forced to provide a home for these extremely dangerous terrorists. In addition, many nations that have agreed to take back their countrymen have such lax security that many detainees are returning to fight against the United States. America's military families will not stand by quietly and allow the terrorists who killed our brave men and women in uniform to be returned to the battlefield where they will undoubtedly continue their campaign against American soldiers and innocent civilians.
Of the detainees to be moved from Guantanamo Bay, at least 62 are confirmed or suspected of involvement in terrorist activities, including the deputy leader of Al Qaeda's Yemeni branch. Below is information about just a few of the "high value" detainees that could soon be your constituents.
• Hambali (Riduan Isamuddin) - Planned and executed the 2000 Christmas Eve bombings in Indonesia that killed 18 in Christian Churches and Christian homes; Planned and executed the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings which killed 187 and wounded over 300; Planned the thwarted bombing of the US Embassy, the Australian Embassy, and the British Embassy in Singapore; and planned the thwarted bombing of the Yishan mass transit station in Singapore.
• Khalid Shaykh Muhammad - Head of Al-Qaeda's military operations committee; Principal planner and director of September 11th attacks in the United States that killed nearly 3000 people; Delivered funds to Al-Qaeda members for operations
• Ramzi Bin al Shibh - Part of Hamburg Al-Qaeda Cell that conducted September 11th attacks on the United States; Was trained in Afghanistan by Sayf al-Adl, Al-Qaeda's senior military commander; Al-Qaeda rated him as a "highly professional jihadist" along with September 11th hijackers Mohammed Atta and Ziad Jarrah; Met with Osama Bin Laden regarding the September 11th attacks; Attempted to enter the United States four different times to attend flight school but was rejected; Wired thousands of dollars to the September 11th hijackers.
It is imperative that these detainees are not brought to the United States. America’s military families, those whose loved ones have fought and died to stop these terrorists from killing innocent civilians, will not allow for them to now be brought to the United States nor be given the rights and privileges that our brave fallen Heroes had taken from them.
Please sign this pledge that you will fight to keep these dangerous enemy combatants off of United States soil and out of your district. By signing the pledge and emailing it to Pledge@MilitaryFamiliesUnited.org, you doing your part as an elected official to keep this country safe. If you are willing to allow these dangerous terrorists to be held in your district, we would appreciate you letting us know so that we can help inform your constituency about their new neighbors.
Thank you, in advance, for your work to keep America safe and secure.
Sincerely,
John Ellsworth
President, Military Families United
and
Proud Father of Lance CPL Justin Ellsworth, KIA Iraq November, 2004
About Military Families United
Military Families United serves as the nation's premier military family advocacy organization, representing Gold and Blue Star families throughout the country and their loved ones who wear, or have worn, our nation's uniform. Military Families United was founded in the summer of 2008 as a not-for-profit, non-partisan 501c4 policy advocacy organization committed to supporting America's military families. We fight to ensure that the sacrifices of these families are not in vain by giving them a voice in Washington, D.C and state governments throughout the country. Military Families United engages Members of Congress, the Administration, and the general public in efforts to communicate the truth about our brave men and women in uniform and their mission to protect our freedom that cost many of them their lives.
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