Bonnie Erbe

Freeing More Guantanamo Detainees Plays Into Al Qaeda's Hands

January 4, 2010 RSS Feed Print

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By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Given what came out this past weekend about Guantanamo prisoners released by the Bush administration, I see no reason to release any more Guantanamo detainees who hail from or who have spent time in terrorist-training nations. President Obama's chief counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, made the rounds of the political Sunday talk shows and according to the Washington Post, called Guantanamo Bay "a propaganda tool for al Qaeda" and added that "532 Guantanamo detainees had been released by the Bush administration, including some who have subsequently appeared as senior officials in the al Qaeda organization in Yemen. He said Obama has released 42, including seven Yemenis sent home."

Yemen is quickly becoming al Qaeda nation of importance number three, after Afghanistan and Pakistan. We also learned recently that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the 23-year-old Nigerian charged with bringing an explosive device onto a Christmas Day Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam-to-Detroit flight, was trained in Yemen. The Post says:

Abdulmutallab, who the administration charges was trained for and tasked with the bombing mission by al Qaeda forces in Yemen, is being held in a federal facility in Milan, Mich. He is due to appear in federal court Friday.

This is not to say there aren't prisoners at Guantanamo who are being wrongfully detained. But since we've already made the mistake of releasing some Guantanamo inmates who should have remained in custody, why is there even any doubt we should err, if anything, on the side of detention over freedom?

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Tags:: Guantánamo Bay,; Barack Obama

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lucky no body get blow up when they on their fly out of america to pakistan, i hear that they worship at the same mosque in Virginia i think that is what the news said don't is turn on the red light for u some of u american corupted politican, it time to lock down the relgious worshiping ground because they are preaching people to do bad thing in life, and by the way the terrorist they get uncheck when they boarding fly in and out of the US luck was with the american this time once again i don't think luck is come up too often don't u think so? a string of uncheck even going on without any one from the people incharge for the public safety haven't get fire from their position and little changes on the way since after wtc so will be lead to another 1 like that soon i think i could predict the strategy here. Our government once again losen up it tight security for just a few dangerous thug from religious sect so for their own good of profit contibute. On the news the other day i hear that the cop arrest the Catholic pries in CA for rape little choir boy, and they appearanly found out that he also have eligal drug and fire arm in his house, and he did admited that he sale those drug in church, it kinda feel good to see that the law doing something good like catching the bad people and put them away instead of let them moving around a harm the innocent people. After waves and waves of suicide bomb blowing themselves up in Pakistan during holiday seasons it gov have began to crack down any connection with terrorist that 5 american arrest was along the string of arrested on terrorist charge it thought it would be wise if as american leaders said Pakistan is an important allies on counter terrorist should we started to do the jobs of our part as our partners doing their job. American leader shouldn't stop giving up on fighting terrorist to make our people here at home feel less safety, because if they do there will be another wtc i mean everyone could see it clearly the result of that.

why isn't that place where the 5 terrorist go worship in america haven't shutdown? of CA 11:57AM January 06, 2010

Enemy combatants are "stateless" .The best way so far of housing them until we extract what ever intelligence we can utilize from the is in a facility that is leased -but not techicnally ON the U.S. & soil thereby not subject to U.S. law.G.D. brilliant actually.And that is why this punk defense attorney from the corrupt Chicago political machine denounces it.

Jim of MO 4:39PM January 05, 2010

At what point did "We the People" allow small, vocal minorities to dictate policy and direction in this country?
Obama, despite his majority win, needs to realize that he won because most Americans were dissatisfied with the former administration and saw McCain as more of the same. So Obama was the "change" mainstreet America voted for. But it should not be inferred that mainstreet America agrees with the ideologs on the far left of the liberal fringe.
These types MAY have been instrumental in getting him elected, but following the beat of their drum will get him de-elected UNLESS he starts to govern from the middle.
In my opinion, this is what the middle is not:
It is not for big government with its graft, corruption, nepotism, and concessions to special interests (Gay/Lesbian/Union, etc).
It is not for heavy taxes and socialized government which means it abhorrs big government and mindless, innane government regulations that attempt to dictate lives.
It does not accept political meddling in military endeavors and prefers to let the military prosecute the war on its terms.
It is not willing to become engaged in a long protracted foreign war, but prefers swift judgement.
It is not excited about corporate greed, but less excited about government interference in the market.
The middle does not like getting pinched to pay the tab resulting from the consequences of another's lack of responsibility in life. (Healthcare)
The middle is opposed to forced intrusion by homosexuals and deviants who attempt to undermine what parents teach their children.
The middle has an aversion to those who attempt to make America a godless nation. The middle understands and is thankful to the godfearing men and women and the judeo-christian principles that formed this nation and do not tolerate those who have designs of destroying those principles.
The middle is sickened by criminal recitivism and agree that capital punishment not only fits the crime but protects the innocent.
If Obama governed more from the middle and listened less to the extreme left then perhaps he won't end up as "one and done."

David of ID 3:14PM January 05, 2010

Bonnie Erbe

Freeing More Guantanamo Detainees Plays Into Al Qaeda's Hands

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