Posted on 09/11/2019 3:18:31 PM PDT by ransomnote
An NPR investigation finds that the military court and prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, have cost taxpayers billions of dollars, with billions more expected. (Above) An American flag is seen through the war crimes courtroom at the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo Bay on Oct. 17, 2012.
The U.S. military court and prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, have cost more than $6 billion to operate since opening nearly 18 years ago and still churn through more than $380 million a year despite housing only 40 prisoners today.
Included in that amount are taxpayer-funded charter planes often flying just a few passengers to and from the island; hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of government electronic devices intentionally destroyed each year due to spills of classified information; some Pentagon-funded defense attorneys billing about half-a-million dollars a year; and total legal costs of nearly $60 million annually even though Guantánamo has had only one finalized conviction.
Criticism of that spending comes even from inside Guantánamo. A former top attorney there has filed a federal whistleblower complaint alleging "gross financial waste" and "gross mismanagement," NPR has learned.
Retired Air Force Col. Gary Brown also claims that he and the former head of the military court were fired because they were negotiating a controversial cost-saving proposal with defense lawyers: allow Guantánamo prisoners — including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his four co-defendants in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks — to plead guilty in exchange for life in prison rather than face the death penalty. Such plea deals, Brown says, "would stop wasting resources."
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(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...
That includes certain congresscritters
War crimes, death penalty, empty gitmo.
Hmmm maybe they are not considering all the improvements and expansions that have been going on to house the large number of incoming prisoners.
Free one-way helicopter rides for jihadis only cost some fuel and pilots’ time. Significant cost and time savings.
Lots of savings pointed out but what are NET SAVINGS if any.
I agree. Execute all terrorist and return it back to the navy.
So $333 million a year.
Chickenfeed compared to Dem/Leftist/’lib’ subsidy of ILLEGAL ALIENS here.
We don’t want them on the mainland. The price would be even more horrendous.
Who has the balls to do what you suggest?
Its a Navy Base. They cost Billions.
We don’t need to keep prisoners indefinitely. Beat ‘em with a Bible and it they have no further value, shoot them.
???? I’m not suggesting anything.
Remember, Obama was going to shut Guantanamo down on Day 1.
Remember, Obama was going to shut Guantanamo down on Day 1.
How about sending domestic and foreign terrorists there and forgetting about them?
Notice we don’t have many captures any more. Drones with hellfire missiles and boom, no enemy combatant.
I thought Obama was gonna shut that down. He had 8 years what happened?
I remember. Lol. 8 years no promise fufilled.
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