Campaign Applauds Transfer of Detainees from Gitmo to Illinois Federal Supermax Prison
December 15, 2009 | Posted by Tom Andrews
Statement by former Congressman Tom Andrews, Director, National Campaign to Close Guantanamo
We applaud the Obama administration for taking an important step forward toward closing the debacle in Guantanamo Bay. President Obama is standing with General Colin Powell, who has long called for the closure of Gitmo, and standing up to the politics of fear and manipulation. It's time for Congress to stop playing politics and join the president in removing this stain from America's standing in the world, save American taxpayers millions of dollars and deny al Qaeda one of its most potent recruiting tools.
Know the Facts
- Nearly 800 detainees have been held in Guantánamo, the vast majority without charge or trial
- Only 3 detainees at Guantanamo have been convicted of any crime through the military commissions system
- The Federal court system has convicted 195 terrorists since 2001.
- Estimated annual cost of operating Guantánamo: $90 million to $118 million
- Thirty-two times since 2001 and four times this year alone, senior al Qaeda leadership has used the prison at Guantanamo Bay in videos, encouraging others to join effort.
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