Press Releases

Congressman Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), a member of the House Armed Services Committee and Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement on the President’s plan to close the Guantanamo Bay Prison Facility and transfer detainees to the United States:

“The law is clear; the President cannot transfer detainees from Guantanamo Bay to any square inch of American soil. President Obama himself signed this into law just three months ago, as he has many times in the past. Chairman Thornberry clearly communicated what he expected the plan would include – if the president was sincere about working with Congress to make changes going forward, the White House would have at least proposed a complete plan.

“Emptying Guantanamo Bay ignores the basic facts of the last 7 years: the threat of terrorism has grown, not diminished, and released fighters have reengaged with Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups. Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility is a critical element to our fight against terrorists. Yet, the President continues to search for a problem to satisfy his solution of closing it.

“Every release poses an increased risk that the ranks of organizations like Al-Qaeda and the Taliban are replenished – a morale boost and recruiting tool. We have nearly 5 dozen detainees identified as too dangerous to transfer to other countries. If they are too dangerous to transfer abroad, the solution is not to bring them to the United States.”

Wenstrup served as Chief of Surgery at the Abu Ghraib Prison Hospital in Iraq from 2005-2006, where he supervised detainee health care. He continues to serve in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Lt. Colonel.

###
Office of Representative Brad Wenstrup
www.Wenstrup.House.gov