Keeping U.S. prison at Guantánamo Bay a threat to U.S. security

opinions

December 16, 2015 - 12:00 AM

For all it’s worth, our military prison at Fort Leavenworth is perfectly able to keep behind bars any murderer, rapist or terrorist without putting Kansas at risk.
But if you listen to our elected officials, accepting detainees from the U.S. military prison at Guatán-amo Bay, Cuba, is way out of our league.
“We don’t want Guantánamo Bay terrorists living next door,” said Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins.
What an insult to the Fort’s ability to keep the surrounding community safe.
“Kansans … have very real fears about this security risk being forced into their communities,” said U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts.
We do?
Last we heard, not one prisoner had escaped from the maximum security prison built in 2002.
Such fear-mongering gets us nowhere.

MEANWHILE, extremists use the Cuba-based prison as a recruitment tool to wage war against the United States.
They are not without cause.
For 14 years we have imprisoned terrorist suspects without due process of law, including those who have been cleared of any offenses.
It is a stain on our character to which terrorists are only too happy to exploit time and time again.
Continuing to hold the 107 prisoners — down from more than 600 — at Gitmo poses more of a threat to our national security by jihadists than moving them into our federal prison system.
So far, the human rights aspect has failed to sway legislators from doing the right thing. Maybe national security will.
— Susan Lynn

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