Murtha Attacked For Offering To House Gitmo Detainees In PA: They Might Indoctrinate Other Inmates!»

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/01/23/murtha-attacked-guantanamo/

Murtha Attacked For Offering To House Gitmo Detainees In PA: They Might Indoctrinate Other Inmates!»


One day before President Obama ordered the closing of Guantanamo Bay, Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) said he would be willing to facilitate the process by bringing some of the detainees into his district. “Sure, I’d take them,” Murtha said. “I mean, they’re no more dangerous in a prison in my district than they are in Guantanamo.”

Fox News’s Glenn Beck called Murtha a “clown” yesterday because of the proposal. But Diane Gramley, president of the American Family Association of Pennsylvania, may have won top prize for the most absurd reaction. Calling the idea “ludicrous,” Gramley’s main complaint seems to be that the al Qaeda suspects will indoctrinate the other American inmates:

“I don’t think the average murderer or rapist hates all Americans or hates what America stands for like the terrorist prisoners from Guantanamo,” said Gramley, who lives in Venango County. “You intermix them with the prison population, and there’s the very real possibility they would influence those individuals in prison.”:eyes:

While one local chamber of commerce president said he does not “see any downside” to Murtha’s idea because it would mean bringing jobs to the area, Pentagon officials are eying other military prisons in South Carolina, Kansas, and California.

But Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) and Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) have expressed strong reservations at housing former Gitmo detainees in their state. South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint (R) said the Obama White House “should be ready for a fight” if it decides to move the terror suspects to South Carolina. “Transferring detainees from Guantanamo Bay to U.S. soil will endanger American lives,” DeMint said. :eyes:

However, defense experts have stated the opposite, that the Guantanamo debacle has led directly to American casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan. But also, former Gitmo detainees will be locked in maximum security prisons and would pose no more danger than some of America’s most dangerous inmates:

– CNN senior analyst Jeffrey Toobin noted, “We have a legal system in this country that has tried Zacarias Moussaoui. It has tried the blind sheik. We have had terrorism trials. These people are in prison. Our legal system is completely capable.”

– “We have thousands of prisoners incarcerated who are as evil, violent and uncontrollable as I imagine any of the terrorist detainees are,” said Joseph Bobak, a local PA professor of criminology and forensic science.

Yet, facts like these don’t stop conservatives from making “absurd” arguments in favor of keeping Guantanamo open for business indefinitely.

[stillcool]

1. The criminals will take over the planet!!

wait a minute..

[babylonsister]

2. Ha! They already did! Now we backpedal with hopefully good results. nt

[eleny]

3. On local radio this morning I heard our governor said he'd take some of them

Here in Colorado we already house the blind sheik and one of his accomplices. Our "super-max" prison is working out.

[treestar]

4. Right wingers tend to inadvertantly admit that they think

that those terrorist Muslims, or Commies, or libruls, or whoever, have very compelling arguments, and can easily persuade people. Yet they, who are supposedly in possession of the truth, have no power to persuade.

[theoldman]

5. As I have noted before, we took in German and Japanese

during WWII. Some were very tough and had killed Americans. They did not corrupt any of the American guards. As a matter of fact, our guards were impressed and learned good things from the prisoners.

[babylonsister]

7. Were they treated humanely? There's the difference. nt

[JfromGA]

6. New to the site...

First time post and Im a little confused as to the "facts" that are stated in this article...Jeff Toobin's opinion? or the opinion of the local Pa professor? what facts dont stop the conservatives?

[babylonsister]

8. They aren't opinions, they are fact. Toobin:

“We have a legal system in this country that has tried Zacarias Moussaoui. It has tried the blind sheik. We have had terrorism trials. These people are in prison. Our legal system is completely capable.”

What part of the statement above is an opinion?

[4 t 4]

9. Welcome to hell! No just kidding

welcome to a site that you will learn more that you have ever know before and as fast as the speed of lighting. It is always here first. Really always here first. Keep that in mind.

[stillcool]

17. There are no facts that stop the right-wingers..

from pushing their shtick no matter how bizarre and blatantly false it is. Like Iraq.

[RC]

10. Anyone know..., Any One at all know if any if the prisoners at Guantanamo actually committed

any acts of terrorism? Real acts. I don't mean defending their country from invaders.

[4 t 4]

11. nobody will know untill

they give them a trial but at the same time there are 245 people in Gitmo thats all. It doesn't seem to me 245 people are worth this much coverage. I know tens of thousands that need jobs and employment. I am sick to death of gitmo. I guess that's just me.

[babylonsister]

13. Makes me wonder considering how many 'terrorists' have been released. nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

14. A retired Army colonel told me

that 90% of them were bought off the streets in Afghanistan and Iraq. Fingered by neighbors and friends who were paid $25,000 for al qaeda and $5000 for taliban.

[stillcool]

16. I read the other day...

that there were a couple..(?) maybe one or two...that admitted, boastfully, to having something to do with attacks. But then they were tortured so even if they say their guilty there is no legal process to convict them .

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. Most folks here don't want them either BUT I read an interesting counter argument

on a local blog yesterday. The blogger claimed to be from Leavenworth. He said just about everyone in Leavenworth works at a prison or is related to someone who does. And Sam Brownback was insulting the hard working prison employees in that town by implying they couldn't keep the terrorists behind bars and prevent them from harming the rest of us.

[marchellojones]

15. There already is

so called supermax prison colorado that holds the unabomber,shoebomber, WTC 93 bombers,etc. Is not like America cant handle a dangerous prisoners.
Uk got Belmarsh and nobody is anxious about that, Israel and other middle east countrys must hold some dangerous prisoners in their prisons...

[babylonsister]

18. marchellojones, where are you from? And welcome to DU!

:fistbump:

[marchellojones]

19. thanks

good to be here,and Im from Finland

[NYC Liberal]

20. DeMint is a moron. Guantanamo IS American soil!

And FSM forbid terrorists "taint" the pure, innocent minds of rapists and murders. :eyes:

"Endanger American lives"...isn't that the point of, you know, a prison? To keep people who are DANGEROUS locked up and away from other people? What are all those murders and rapists doing in prisons, on ... *gasp* ... "American soil" then?

[Ian David]

21. I heard we're going to be asked to take them into our homes like exchange students. n/t