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U.S. Rep. Rooney says Gitmo may have to stay open as terrorist prison
TCPalm News ^ | 05-04-09 | Jim Turner

Posted on 05/04/2009 2:02:45 PM PDT by prismsinc

Congressman Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, agrees with President Barack Obama — It’s time to determine the fate of those being held, some as long as seven years, at Guantanamo Bay.

But after a fact-finding mission to the detention facility at the eastern tip of Cuba on Friday, Rooney said that rather than relocating any of the suspected terrorists to American prisons if they are found guilty, maybe the facility could be used as a prison.

“The one thing, as we discussed down there and merits further discussion, is that right now it’s a detention facility. There are 248-plus people and only one has been tried and convicted, so it’s not a prison,” Rooney said.

He said he’d like future discussion on whether the facility should be a prison for those found guilty, or who are enough of a threat to keep in detention. He specified Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who, according to the 9/11 Commission Report, was the architect of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

“Maybe the answer is no, but I think it should be at least opened for debate,” Rooney said.

He has already introduced a bill to prevent Guantanamo detainees from being transferred to Florida.

“I know the president is trying to get some of them sent, if found not a threat to this country, to their homelands. But the problem is a lot of the people where they’re from, don’t want them back,” Rooney said. “We’re going to have very tough decisions on where we put these people and my bill was just to say ‘not in Florida.’ ”

The freshman congressman is a member of the Committee on Armed Services. And as a member of the House Committee on Judiciary, Rooney sits on the Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security subcommittee.

(Excerpt) Read more at tcpalm.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: gitmo; gtmo; waronterror; wot
Not sure yet what to make of this, so I'll let you keen eyed Freepers dissect this one for me....
1 posted on 05/04/2009 2:02:45 PM PDT by prismsinc
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To: prismsinc
U.S. Rep. Rooney says Gitmo may have to stay open as terrorist prison.

Gosh. Ya think?

2 posted on 05/04/2009 2:06:06 PM PDT by Mikey_1962 (Obama: The Affirmative Action President)
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To: prismsinc

As long as the right thing gets done, whatever!! These people are too dangerous to be on the mainland soil or in American courts.


3 posted on 05/04/2009 2:06:46 PM PDT by cotton1706
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To: cotton1706

Bottom line. Try them in a military court. If they are found innocent, ship them back to their host countries. If they are found guilty, keep them at Gitmo.

Not really much else here.


4 posted on 05/04/2009 2:14:52 PM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (The Democrat Party is a criminal enterprise the Gambinos would be proud of.)
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To: Mikey_1962
“Camp McGregor up for closure.”
This is a state prison in upstate New York. I believe the Gitmo attendees should be sent to McGregor because it serves a number of socially acceptable factors:
1. NY has a budget problem and can use the money’
2. NY is sensitive to the plight of the terrorists and will treat them as a well as any murderer of innocents.
3. The people in this Congressional District has just elected a supporter of Obama’s stimulus package and should be rewarded with the jobs that the terrorists "CARE ’ will provide. /s
5 posted on 05/04/2009 3:05:59 PM PDT by BilLies
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To: prismsinc

MAY??? Will! Must!


6 posted on 05/04/2009 4:26:18 PM PDT by SandRat ( I HATE Cox Cable of Sierra Vista, Arizona!!!)
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To: prismsinc

Obama doesn’t have the charecter to admit he was wrong OR Bush was right.

He’s a small guy.


7 posted on 05/04/2009 10:57:56 PM PDT by Finalapproach29er (A woman will be the next President; I hope it's Palin instead of HRC.)
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To: EQAndyBuzz

The host counties will not take them back. That is the problem.


8 posted on 05/04/2009 11:01:38 PM PDT by BunnySlippers (I LOVE BULL MARKETS . . .)
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