Changing GITMO's Address, Doesn't Change Terrorists Motives

The same people who have brought you 10 percent unemployment, government run health care and a national energy tax are now attempting to bequeath you with another unwanted holiday gift. This time, however, the stakes are even higher as they want to bring terrorists to US soil.

The White House has just announced their plan to transfer Guantanamo Bay detainees to Thomson Correctional Center in Illinois. From my briefings at GITMO and speaking with people who know the situation well, I can say that moving GITMO terrorists to Thomson, is a huge unnecessary gamble.

Those terrorists still remaining in GITMO are among the world’s most dangerous warriors. They are wickedly creative in thinking out of the box when contemplating doing us harm, as evidenced by the attacks of September 11, 2001. They command the loyalty of thousands of fellow jihadists around the world and have complete control over the minds of followers, both in detention and on the outside. On a whim, they can–and have–ordered those under their command to commit suicide at a moment’s notice.

I have enormous respect for American military personnel who will guard Thomson along with civilian law enforcement. These professionals will undoubtedly be well-trained and dedicated to protecting the public. But they will be responsible for guarding the largest terrorist cell in the world.

Those in favor of closing GITMO do not seem to get the fact that terrorists are not going to be mollified by simply changing the address of the terrorist’s prison. Rather than satisfying the left-wing base and attempting to win an international public relations battle, we should keep the state-of-the-art detention facility in GITMO open rather than bringing these terrorists to small town America. Terrorists need to be tried in military tribunals, as opposed to civil American courts that come with an array of rights of the accused, appropriate for criminals but not for terrorists.

This decision of moving GITMO terrorists to Thomson was rushed and planned in secrecy. Rather than answering the questions about who exactly is coming, what security improvements are being made to Thomson and how much this will cost, the Administration is simply selling this as an economic stimulus package. While the president’s Council of Economic Advisers estimates the relocation of these prisoners may reduce unemployment a few percentage points, it’s important to remember these are the same people who promised the unemployment rate would remain under 8 percent after the stimulus passed. We’ve all seen how great those predictions have turned out.

The bottom line is Thomson is a top quality prison, very well equipped to handle maximum security criminals. It should be opened as a state or federal prison to ease overcrowding, but not to house the most dangerous terrorists in the world. Only time will tell how wise or reckless this move is.

Before any decision is finalized we need answers to these critical questions. Indeed, it was the answers to these questions that caused Governors Granholm of Michigan and Sebelius of Kansas to say thanks but no thanks.