Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Yemen and Guantanamo Detainees

President Obama announced today that due to instability in Yemen, the US government has halted all detainees scheduled to transfer from the detention facility in Guantanmo Bay, Cuba to Yemen. This follows the most recent terrorist attack on America (thankfully) being foiled by the passengers of the Detroit-bound flight. The terrorist had been released from Guantanamo in 2007.

Let's review the facts one time for clarity:

The Yemense detainees at Guantanamo Bay were captured on the battlefield by the Bush Administration due to the threat they posed to the US and its Allies.

The detainees have been sent back to Yemen for the last several years (prior to President Obama taknig office) because many politicians believed the men were "innocent."

BUT, they will not be sent back now because there is too much of an Al Qaeda presence in Yemen and the country is too unstable right now.

Here are a few questions I'd be grateful for someone in The Administration to explain to America:
A) If the detainees were captured on the battlefield, how are they innocent?
B) If the detainees are highly likely to be converted to terrorists if sent to Yemen, why are we releasing them at all?
C) If the alternative is to transfer them to the prison in Illinois (the one that is slated to receive them), why are we bringing terrorist within our borders to be imprisoned? Also, if they are innocent why must they be imprisoned?
D) How is imprisoning them in the US different from keeping them in a detention facility in Guantanamo Bay? They're behind bars either way, right?
E) Won't brining them into our country better enable them to orchstrate further terrorist attacks on our country?
F) If The Adminstration plans to mitigate their threat by keeping the detainees heavily guarded and controlled, how is this different from their detainment at Guantnamo Bay?

I wish there were clearer answers out there. Such explanations will be needed when (God forbid) the current political decisions enable a successful terrorist attack on the US.

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