As we reported earlier, the Obama administration plans to transfer detainees from Guantanamo Bay to a correctional center in Illinois. This afternoon Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and National Security Adviser James Jones announced those plans outside the White House.
Jones said the move will “bring to resolution” to the issue of Guantanamo, and said there is “no danger to the community.”
He said opening the Thomson Correctional Center, in Thomson, Illinois, will mean “removing a recruiting tool that Guantanamo has come to symbolize.”
We think that by taking this action Guantanamo will soon be closed.
Quinn and Durbin said the move is safe — and popular.”The support for this prison is overwhelming and bipartisan,” Durbin said. “We see this as a great opportunity to not only serve our country but to provide meaningful jobs to a lot of people desperate for work.”
Some Republican politicians remain opposed to relocating Guantanamo detainees to U.S. soil, however. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) released a statement after the White House announcement saying the plan sends “a confusing message to our troops on the battlefield who no longer know when civilian law enforcement rules or the laws of war might apply.”
“I hope the administration hits the pause button on closing Guantanamo and works with Congress to develop a comprehensive strategy to keep dangerous terrorists off the battlefield.”
