WASHINGTON, D.C. – An overwhelming bipartisan majority of the U.S. Senate voted to require the administration to provide a threat assessment for every detainee held at Guantanamo Bay. The amendment was introduced by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. The threat assessments would indicate the likelihood of recidivism, and would report on and evaluate any effort that al Qaeda may make to recruit detainees once they are released from U.S. custody.
“The Senate has once again spoken out against endangering American families and our military service members overseas by calling on the administration to carry out a threat assessment on the terrorists in Guantanamo Bay,” said McConnell. “Americans want the assurance that the arbitrary deadline to close Guantanamo by next January will pose no risk to our military service members overseas, and today the Senate stood with them.”
Many of the remaining 240 detainees are from countries with either no rehabilitation program, or programs which have proven unsuccessful. And the amendment would require the administration to certify that any detainee it plans to release prior to the threat assessment poses no threat to U.S. military personnel stationed around the world.
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“The Senate has once again spoken out against endangering American families and our military service members overseas by calling on the administration to carry out a threat assessment on the terrorists in Guantanamo Bay,” said McConnell. “Americans want the assurance that the arbitrary deadline to close Guantanamo by next January will pose no risk to our military service members overseas, and today the Senate stood with them.”
Many of the remaining 240 detainees are from countries with either no rehabilitation program, or programs which have proven unsuccessful. And the amendment would require the administration to certify that any detainee it plans to release prior to the threat assessment poses no threat to U.S. military personnel stationed around the world.
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