Study: US jails could handle Guantanamo detainees
WASHINGTON (AP) — The controversial detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, could be closed and the 166 detainees being held there could be absorbed safely by U.S. prisons, a government report says.
Many of the detainees are accused of plotting terrorist acts against the United States.
"This report demonstrates that if the political will exists, we could finally close Guantanamo without imperiling our national security," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the Senate Intelligence Committee chairwoman who released the Government Accountability Office study Wednesday.
The GAO study shows that U.S. prisons already hold 373 prisoners convicted of terrorism in 98 facilities across the country.
"As far as I know, there hasn't been a single security problem reported in any of these cases," Feinstein said. "This fact outweighs not only the high cost of maintaining Guantanamo — which costs more than $114 million a year — but also provides the same degree of security without the criticism of operating a military prison in an isolated location."
The study said there are six Defense Department prisons and 98 Justice Department prisons that could take the detainees, but it does say that existing facilities likely would need to be modified and current inmates may need to be relocated to make room for the new arrivals.
President Barack Obama ordered the closing of the Guantanamo's detention facility when he took office in 2009, but that was blocked by a Republican-led bill that cut off funding to move the detainees to the U.S. The lawmakers cited security concerns, saying the presence of the detainees would encourage terror attacks in the states or cities where they were being held.
Feinstein commissioned the study in 2008 to find out where the detainees could be held, if the White House was able to move ahead with Guantanamo's closure.
Many of the detainees are accused of plotting terrorist acts against the United States.
"This report demonstrates that if the political will exists, we could finally close Guantanamo without imperiling our national security," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the Senate Intelligence Committee chairwoman who released the Government Accountability Office study Wednesday.
The GAO study shows that U.S. prisons already hold 373 prisoners convicted of terrorism in 98 facilities across the country.
"As far as I know, there hasn't been a single security problem reported in any of these cases," Feinstein said. "This fact outweighs not only the high cost of maintaining Guantanamo — which costs more than $114 million a year — but also provides the same degree of security without the criticism of operating a military prison in an isolated location."
The study said there are six Defense Department prisons and 98 Justice Department prisons that could take the detainees, but it does say that existing facilities likely would need to be modified and current inmates may need to be relocated to make room for the new arrivals.
President Barack Obama ordered the closing of the Guantanamo's detention facility when he took office in 2009, but that was blocked by a Republican-led bill that cut off funding to move the detainees to the U.S. The lawmakers cited security concerns, saying the presence of the detainees would encourage terror attacks in the states or cities where they were being held.
Feinstein commissioned the study in 2008 to find out where the detainees could be held, if the White House was able to move ahead with Guantanamo's closure.
We should close Guantanamo and give it back to Cuba.  And, we should restore diplomatic relations with Cuba.  We recognize and do business with all kinds of countries that are much worse.  We only keep our current policy against Cuba as a sop to aging Cuban refugees who dominate Florida politics and since Florida is a swing state, dominate the Nation.  Even young Cubans do not support our current policy.  I want to go to Havana and sit across from the Malecon drinking mojitos and smoking a Cuban cigar.
Â
Back to the Guantanamo prisoners. Â The whole issue, at this point, is just ginned up. Â Obama said he'd close it, so the Republicans don't want him to. Â If Romney had been elected, the Republicans would support closing Guantanamo.
People tend to find religion in prison and putting radicals into the soup will produce more radicals. Put Gitmo #2 in Illinois, that should be a good match.
 @TimBurr Keep them in isolation from general prison population.
 @blotto  @TimBurr Then they will scream bloody murder because they have rights now being on US soil. They will demand to be put into the general population or released all together. Made citizens.
NO, NO, NO, absolutely NOT!
How can there possibly be excess capacity in the US jails? It seems to me that our jail system is already a revolving door! Just look at all the criminals that are released really early due to "overcrowding". Our gov is sure made up of a bunch of idiots.
Yeah sure! Bring them to the USA so that the liberal ACLU attorneys can set them all free? These prisoners were apprehended as a result of alleged terrorist acts committed against the USA. Either s**t or get off the pot! Convict them or get them back to whatever country wants them, but let's get it done! The sooner the better....before they all die of old age!