FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                             CONTACT: Joshua Gillespie
November 18, 2010                                                                                    (317) 848-0201

Burton Condemns Miscarriage of Justice in Terrorist Trial

“This goes to show we should not conduct social experiments in a time of war.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN-05) issued the following statement in response to the surprise acquittal of terrorist Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani by a New York jury:

“Yesterday’s decision is an appalling miscarriage of justice and a stinging rebuke of the Obama Administration’s ill-conceived decision to treat terrorists as petty criminals and not enemy combatants.  The terrorists now have a blueprint to follow on how to game and twist the American legal system which will only increase the likelihood of further terrorist attacks against Americans here at home and abroad.”

“No one in the Justice Department should be congratulating themselves today.  This terrorist deserves more than twenty years in prison for plotting to destroy U.S. government property; he should be facing death for the cold-blooded calculated murders of 224 innocent people.  This goes to show we should not conduct social experiments in a time of war.”
 
Rep. Burton also spoke on this issue on the House Floor this morning.  Please see the linked video.
 

Background: Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani is a former Guantanamo Bay detainee who was on trial for his alleged role in the bombing of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 where 224 people were killed, including 12 Americans.   Gailani was charged with 286 counts – including 224 counts of murder – and convicted of only one count – conspiracy to destroy U.S. Government property.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                             CONTACT: Joshua Gillespie
November 4, 2010                                                                                      (317) 848-0201

Rep. Burton Reasserts the Need for a Tough Stance on Border Security from President Obama

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN-05) sent a follow up letter to President Barack Obama expressing concern regarding the deteriorating security situation along the United States southern border.  The letter was sent following the deaths of five more Americans along the border region.

Rep. Burton wrote “Americans are dying; it is time to recognize that the drug violence along the border is a direct threat to the United States and to act accordingly.”

Rep. Burton urged President Obama to consider the proposals that were laid out in his initial letter from October 26th.  Those proposals included more serious dialogue with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, complete construction of a border fence to secure our border and immediate deployment of additional National Guard troops to the region.  Rep. Burton's letter to President Obama is as follows (PDF of actual letter linked):

November 4, 2010

Dear Mr. President:

    On October 26th I and four of my colleagues, sent you a letter expressing our extreme concerns regarding the deteriorating security situation along our Nation’s southern border.  Since that time five more Americans have been killed along the border region.   Protecting our borders and our citizens is a paramount responsibility of the Federal government; enshrined in the preamble of the Constitution.  I strongly urge you to consider the proposals laid out in my letter from October 26th.  Americans are dying; it is time to recognize that the drug violence along the border is a direct threat to the United States and act accordingly.

    Thank you for giving your personal time and attention to this critically important issue.


                                Sincerely,


                                Dan Burton
                                Member of Congress

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                             CONTACT: Joshua Gillespie
October 26, 2010                                                                        (317) 848-0201

Burton Demands Tough Stance on Border Security from President Obama

Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN-05) along with Congressmen Ted Poe (TX-2), Ralph Hall (TX-4), Pete Olson (TX-22) and Congressman Ed Royce (CA-40) sent a letter to President Barack Obama expressing concern regarding the deteriorating security situation along the United States southern border.  The letter addresses the murder of a U.S. citizen that took place on Falcon Lake on the Texas border with Mexico.  Rep. Burton is strongly urging President Obama to pursue more serious dialogue with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, calling for complete construction of a border fence to secure our border and pushing for an immediate deployment of additional National Guard troops to the region.  Rep. Burton's letter to President Obama is as follows (PDF of actual linked):

October 26, 2010

Dear Mr. President:

We are writing to you today to express our extreme concern regarding the deteriorating security situation along our Nation’s southern border.  It seems that every day brings a new report of some atrocity; the most recent being the apparent murder of a U.S. citizen at Falcon Lake, Texas; yet little if anything appears to be being done by our government or the Mexican government to stop the bloodshed and bring the perpetrators to justice. 

Protecting our borders and our citizens is a paramount responsibility of the Federal government; enshrined in the preamble of the Constitution.  It would be an unforgiveable breach of our constitutional responsibilities if we do not take stronger measures not only to prevent the upward spiral of violence from further spilling over into the United States and threaten the safety of U.S. citizens on American soil but to reclaim those areas of our border already overrun by smugglers and criminals.  We can no longer pretend that this is simply Mexico’s problem.  The time has come to recognize that the drug violence along the border is a direct threat to the United States and act accordingly. 

First, it has become apparent that the Mexican government and law enforcement authorities are either unwilling or unable to address this problem unilaterally.  Therefore, we believe it is imperative that you immediately begin serious dialogue with President Calderon on building a comprehensive framework, in the spirit of Plan Colombia, that will better coordinate a more aggressive and proactive strategy to turn the tide of this conflict. 

Second, we must complete construction of the border fence.  Any responsibility we have to minimize the impact of the fence on the physical landscape or native species in the region pales in comparison when measured against the value of human lives that will be lost if we do not seal the border.

Finally, we believe it is critical that we deploy additional National Guard troops to the border. Media reports indicate that 17,000 National Guard troops were deployed to the Gulf region to respond to the recent oil spill.  Yet, you have only pledged 1,200 National Guard troops to protect the border – and according to media reports only a small fraction of those troops have arrived to date.  It is unrealistic, if not pure insanity, to believe that a mere 1,200 National Guard troops, even with the support of the Border Patrol, can effectively cover the nearly 2,000 mile long Southwestern border of the United States.   We must put additional bodies on the ground and we must give them the weapons and specify rules of engagement that give them the authority to do whatever is necessary to secure the border.  A National Guard trooper armed with only a pistol and given no authority to engage the enemy is useless against a criminal armed with military grade weapons and ammunition.

Mr. President, we implore you to view this situation for what it is, a war and to act accordingly.

Sincerely,

MEDIA ADVISORY                                                                        CONTACT: John Donnelly
July 6, 2010                                                                                            (317) 848-0201

Burton Gathers Congressional Support For Boeing Tanker

If Chosen By The Defense Dept., Boeing Tanker Would Spur Hundreds Of Hoosier Jobs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN-05) has sent a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates in support of Boeing's bid to replace the outdated U.S. fleet of aerial refueling tankers.  If chosen over EADS' Airbus A350, Boeing's NewGen tanker could bring 50,000 jobs to the U.S., including hundreds to Triumph Controls in Shelbyville, Indiana.  Rep. Burton's letter to Secretary Gates, cosigned by a bipartisan group of 10 other members of Congress, is as follows (PDF of actual attached):

July 2, 2010

Dear Secretary Gates:

We write you today on behalf of constituent companies in our respective districts to bring to your attention concerns surrounding the KC-X request for proposal.  The Air Force Tanker competition raises issues of global importance.  The magnitude of the program cannot be overlooked.  The selected platform – which replaces the Eisenhower-era aerial refueling tankers - will play a key role in strengthening our Nation’s defense and military readiness.  We believe that the tanker should be made by U.S. workers and that in this time of serious national security and economic challenges; we need to make protecting and preserving America’s defense industrial base a priority. 

It is also of great importance to us that the Department of Defense (‘Department’) takes into account the positive impact that the Air force Tanker program would have on our Nation’s economy.  With the KC-X proposal, we have an opportunity to create and retain jobs here in the United States at a time when they are desperately needed.  We believe that it is paramount for the Department to support the contract bid that will have the most positive impact on the current employment issues in the United States. It is in the United States’ best interest- both economically and from a national security standpoint- to support a platform that can be built in America by dedicated engineers, machinists and technicians supported by workers at hundreds of supplier facilities from all across the United States.  According to Boeing, the NewGen tanker will support 50,000 U.S. jobs, with more than 800 suppliers in more than 40 different states. Suppliers like Triumph Controls in Shelbyville, Indiana; Aviation Communication and Surveillance in Phoenix, Arizona; and Allen Aircraft Products in Ravenna, Ohio; are depending on these jobs in a time of economic uncertainty. We can’t think of a more compelling argument as to why we need to keep tanker work in the United States.  With the national unemployment rate hovering just below 10 percent, we need to retain as many aerospace industry jobs in America as we can. 

We also believe that the Department should support a platform that best serves the American taxpayers’ interests.  It would be ideal if we could provide our service members with a platform that is functional, as well as cost effective, presenting the smallest cost for both fueling and maintenance. Boeing says its NewGen tanker will be approximately 15-20 % cheaper to maintain than the competition, which means that the NewGen tanker will save the American taxpayer hundreds of millions of dollars in maintenance costs. Most importantly, a more efficient platform would give us the ability to continue the arduous process of weaning our Nation off its dependence on foreign oil, and it aligns with our Nation’s policies of investing in green technologies.  

We need to select the platform that provides the Air Force with all of the advantages afforded by the unprecedented command of technology provided here in the United States.  We would like you to give great thought to which platform is the most user-centric, safe, and efficient.  As a Nation, we are privileged to have the most accomplished Air Force in the world, and we want the best technology and platforms available. Boeing has specified that it’s NewGen tanker possess a modern state-of-the-art flight deck based on the 787 model, as well as a innovative 21st Century refueling system that gives its operator maximum control, thereby increasing the safety and efficiency of the refueling process to unprecedented levels. The men and women of the United States Air Force deserve this state-of-the-art instrumentation without delay. 

We believe that the Air Force would be best served by working with a contractor that has unmatched expertise and experience in the area of Air Force platforms.  We believe that it is imperative for the Department to take into consideration the best qualified bidder to meet the United States Air Force’s current needs in the most efficient and expeditious way possible.  Boeing draws on over 60 years of experience, and will design and manufacture the NewGen tanker in already existing facilities with a highly trained and experienced workforce right here in the United States. We simply cannot afford to have any delays in this process, given the current challenges facing our service members overseas and the important mission that this platform will ultimately be charged with.

The Tanker competitive bidding process should be fair, transparent, responsive to the requirements of the Air Force, and capable of ensuring a level playing field while serving our National interests.  There should be no exceptions to these principals.  It has been widely reported in the media that the bidding process has been entangled in a complex dispute concerning illegal subsidies provided to a European company vying for the Air Force tanker contract. At the root of this dispute are the subsidies that were provided for the Airbus A330 airplane, the very same airplane on which Airbus’s tanker is based.  On

March 23, 2010, the World Trade Organization (WTO) issued a final ruling in the U.S. Government’s trade case against Europe, finding that the EU gave EADS/Airbus billions of dollars in illegal launch subsides for the development and production of its aircraft.  From our perspective, this outcome should weigh heavily in the decision-making process when awarding this important contract. Endorsing a platform borne of illegal monies would not only reward American tax dollars to a company that failed to meet international standards for fair trade, but it would nullify a landmark decision put forth by the World Trade Organization.

Thank you for your time and attention to our concerns.  We sincerely hope that the Department of Defense will give full and fair consideration to our concerns, consistent with applicable laws, rules, and regulations. 

Sincerely,

Reps. Dan Burton (R-IN-05), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA-46), Elton Gallegly (R-CA-24), David Reichert (R-WA-08), Charles Gonzalez (D-TX-20), Todd Tiahrt (R-KS-04), Steven LaTourette (R-OH-14), Doc Hastings (R-WA-04), Jerry Moran (R-KS-01), Jerry Costello (D-IL-12), Andre Carson (D-IN-07)

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Mr. Speaker, one of the biggest threats to peace in the Middle East and possibly the whole world is for the United States and our friends and allies around the world to stop Iran's nuclear development program. We have been working for months and months to come up with a very strong Iran sanctions bill. The bill has finally passed the House and Senate, and because of the differences, we are in a conference committee. We have a very strong bill, one that will put extreme pressure on Iran and possibly avert a war in the Middle East. But now we are hearing that the bill is going to be watered down. It is going to be made weaker. If it is made weaker, that means the pressure will not be put on Iran that should be, and they will continue with their nuclear development program and we could be in a war in the Middle East that will far exceed what we have seen in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I want to read to you from a report that was issued just last week. ``Iran has set up new equipment that will allow it to boost its efficiency at enriching uranium at higher levels. Iran's clandestine enrichment activities were discovered 8 years ago and have expanded since to encompass thousands of centrifuges churning out material enriched to 3.5 percent. But despite three sets of Security Council sanctions meant to enforce demands of a freeze, Tehran moved to a new level in February, when it set up a small program to produce material enriched to near 20 percent.'' And 20 percent can be used for a nuclear weapon.

The story continued, ``But the move has increased concerns because it brings the Islamic Republic closer to the ability to produce warhead material. Uranium at 3.5 percent can be used to fuel reactors, which is Iran's avowed purpose for enrichment. If enriched to around 95 percent, however, it can be used in building a nuclear bomb. And at 20 percent, uranium can be turned into weapons-grade material much more quickly than from lower levels.

``The 20-percent uranium is being produced by `a cascade'--164 centrifuges hooked up in series. The diplomats said that Iranian technicians had in recent weeks assembled another 164-centrifuge cascade, and the throw of a switch appeared ready to activate it to support the machines already turning out small amounts of near 20-percent uranium.''

We don't know how long it is going to be before Iran has nuclear weapons, but we know it is not going to be too long. And every day we wait to put pressure on Iran is a day they are closer to developing nuclear technology that could start a war over there, obliterate our friends in Israel, and cause a major war that we will have to be involved with.

We get about 40 percent of our energy from the Middle East. And if a war breaks out over there and in the Gulf States, the Persian Gulf could be blocked, and we would lose so much energy we wouldn't even be able to run the lights in this place.

It is extremely important that we have a very strong Iran sanctions bill. I am on the conference committee, and I would say to my colleagues who are conferees, let's make it tough, as tough as possible, because the one thing we want to do is avert a major war with Iran in the Middle East. And I can tell you, I know Bibi Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, is not going to stand by and watch a weapon that could obliterate, destroy Israel, be produced right next door there in Iran. So it is important that the United States take the lead by coming up with a very strong bill that will put sanctions on Iran that they will realize will stop them economically if they don't stop their nuclear development program.

This is probably going to be one of the last chances we will have to stop a nuclear program in Iran that will develop a nuclear weapon and possibly cause a major war and proliferation of nuclear weapons throughout the Middle East. This is a very important time not only for them, in the Middle East, Israel and our allies, but it is a big, important time for the United States and all of our allies in Europe. We can't let a terrorist state like Iran get a nuclear weapon, and that is why we need to pass a very strong Iran sanctions bill, and we need to do it right away.