Contact: Jill Shatzen
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WOLF STATEMENT ON GAO REPORT EXAMINING
POTENTIAL TRANSFER OF GITMO DETAINEES TO U.S. SOIL

Washington, D.C. (November 29, 2012) – Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) today said a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) confirms his long-held suspicion that the Obama administration is continuing to pursue the possibility of transferring terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to correctional facilities in the U.S.  

In addition, the White House today threatened to veto the Senate National Defense Authorization Act unless the restrictions preventing the transfer of GITMO detainees to U.S. soil are removed.  

In response to these latest developments, Wolf, chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee that funds the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prisons, released the following statement:

“These events should serve as a wakeup call to the American public that terrorists like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who confessed to his involvement in plotting the 9/11 attacks on the United States, could one day appear in courtrooms on American soil.

“The GAO report notes the potential security risks associated with transferring detainees to the U.S.  According to the report, ‘DOD’s current ability to minimize risks to the public is attributable to Guantanamo Bay’s remote location and limited access, whereas DOD corrections facilities in the United States are generally located on active military installations in close proximity to the general public.’  Transferring GITMO detainees to the U.S. would mean that some of the world’s most dangerous terrorists – the very criminals who plotted attacks against the United States – would live side-by-side with and have all the same constitutional rights as American prisoners.  Equally as concerning, if they were to be acquitted, they would be released on our streets to walk as free men.   

“It is my strong belief that Americans do not want terrorists on American soil, whether during trial or in detention.  Earlier this year, 100 families of 9/11 victims opposed the sale of Thomson prison in Illinois out of fear that it would house GITMO detainees, which the administration originally designated to house the transferred detainees.  Lawmakers from both chambers of Congress and both sides of the aisle joined me in opposition to the sale, which came with a price tag of $165 million.

“I believe that Attorney General Eric Holder’s acquisition of Thomson prison – unprecedented in its violations of longstanding Executive-Legislative branch protocol – could be the first step in transferring these dangerous terrorists to the U.S.  Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) request for this GAO report is even more troubling given the fact that its findings were kept secret from the Congress and the American public until today.

“President Obama and Eric Holder seized an opportunity while the American public was focused on the election to secretly cut a deal with Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) to purchase Thomson, despite the fact that doing so violated congressional oversight, an earmark ban and our long-standing democratic model of checks and balances.  Further, the costs associated with the sale and refurbishment of Thomson prison are frankly irresponsible at a time when sequestration is looming and we are peering over the fiscal cliff.

“Transferring prisoners from Guantanamo Bay is a costly proposition both in terms of security and spending. We owe it to the victims of terrorist attacks on the U.S. to remain vigilant in our opposition to this idea or risk compromising our national security.”