As you may know, a federal judge this week ordered the release of an al-Qaeda terrorist organizer from Guantanamo Bay. You can read about that here in the Wall Street Journal.  

Thank you to my colleague Congressman Lamar Smith for leading efforts on the Judiciary Committee, which I sit on, in addressing this issue. You can read more about my work on this issue here.

Smith Urges DOJ to Appeal Ruling on Gitmo Detainee

Classified Ruling May Lead to Release of High Value Detainee

Washington, D.C. – In a letter today to Attorney General Eric Holder, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) urged the Justice Department to appeal a ruling that may order the release of Guantanamo Bay detainee Mohamedou Ould Slahi.  

As the letter states, Slahi was considered by Pentagon officials to be the “highest value detainee at the facility” and that he was the “key orchestrator of the al Qaeda cell in Europe.”   

Ranking Member Smith: “It is certainly possible, if not likely, that Mr. Slahi will reengage in efforts to commit terrorist attacks against innocent Americans if allowed to go free.  This ruling clearly puts the American people in danger and should not be allowed to stand.  The primary responsibility of any Administration is to protect the American people.  As such, the Justice Department has no choice but to immediately appeal this ruling.  Any other action is a dereliction of duty and puts the American people at risk.”   

According to media reports, on Monday, U.S. District Court Judge James Robertson granted Slahi’s habeas petition, meaning the Judge agreed that he was being held without just cause. Ranking Member Smith requested a full briefing and a copy of the Judge’s classified opinion.

Over the past year, Americans have made it clear that they opposed transferring potential terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to American soil for civilian trials. Yet after widespread outcry over holding the trials in New York City just miles from the site of the 9-11 terrorist attacks, the Administration has continued to consider other U.S. locations – including our military installations.

Our military bases are the training hubs for our men and women in uniform, and they are where our military families live and go to school. Trying potential terrorists on these bases will present unnecessary security risks, and moving any terrorist here is simply unacceptable.

I recently cosponsored H.R. 4738, which would prohibit the use of a military installation in the U.S. for a court trial of any accused terrorist. I introduced similar legislation last year that expressly prevents Guantanamo Bay detainees from being transferred to Virginia.

The questions remains whether, we as American citizens, are comfortable placing a target on our backs right here in our own communities. And the answer continues to be a resounding “no.”

It was late on a hot July evening this summer when I arrived back from Guantanamo Bay.  I remember going directly to the computer to pen my impressions on closing the detention facility and transferring terrorists to the United States. "A monumental mistake for our nation," is what I wrote. 

Today, the Administration is expected to announce that it will send 9/11 terrorism detainees from Guantanamo Bay to be housed in Illinois. This follows an announcement a few weeks ago that several detainees, including self-proclaimed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, will be prosecuted just blocks away from Ground Zero in NYC before a civilian federal court. I wrote about that in a blog entry here. 

The 9/11 conspirators are enemies of war, not common criminals. Moving terrorists in close proximity to American citizens can in no way make us safer. It is a security risk we cannot afford to take, and I am taking every action available to me to stop it.  

I recently signed a discharge petition for the Keep Terrorists Out of America Act, which would force the bill out of committee and onto the floor for a vote. If we are successful in collecting the 218 signature necessary, the House would be forced to vote on stopping the transfer or release of detainees held at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility into the United States.  

I've also joined with fellow members of the House Judiciary Committee and Armed Services Committee in cosponsoring resolutions of inquiry (H.Res.920 and H.Res. 924) to force Attorney General Eric Holder and the Department of Defense, separately, to release documents related to the Administration’s decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the other 9/11 conspirators in federal court in New York City – the American public deserves to know the potential ramifications of relocating and trying them in the United States. 

This afternoon, I will attend a House Armed Service Committee markup on H.Res. 924. I am hopeful that we can bring this bill out of committee and onto the Floor for a vote, so we can make it known that the protection of American citizens and justice for the families who have lost loved ones as a result of 9/11 and terrorism abroad is our number one priority.