Levin: Detainees Could Be Allowed In US

Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich.) discusses how he believes that the decision about detainees coming into the United States should be left up to local governments, and the federal government should not institute a national ban. (0:36)

Guantanamo Prisoners: Soon In Your Neighborhood?

By Celia Canon Talk Radio News Service

It is still unclear whether prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility will be transferred to military prisons in the United States. That was the message given to top members of Congress today by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who testified for two hours before the Committee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies to discuss Department of Justice budget priorities.

Closing the prison “require(s) immediate interagency action,” Holder said. “While implementing these (Presidential) orders, the Department will take necessary precautions to ensure decisions regarding Guantanamo detainees account for (the) safety concerns of all Americans. Executing these orders will have a significant workload and cost impact on the Department and this budget reflects what is needed.”

In January, President Barack Obama announced that he will fulfill his campaign promise to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay. The facility is slated to close within a year of Obama’s announcement, and it is up to the Justice Department to find detention locations for the prisoners, most of whom have been imprisoned for years as suspected terrorists.

The Committee was concerned with Holder’s $30 million request to close the prison, perhaps because Holder did not confirm or deny his authority to allow the detainees to be transferred and housed in the U.S.

Committee Chair Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) said DOJ is suffering from a lack of morale and trust. “I want to know how the Department of Justice has improved accountability of taxpayer dollars so that every dollar spent to secure our communities is a dollar well spent... Spending excesses will not be tolerated.”

Ranking Member Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said that “the very idea of taking money from victims and law enforcing officers to educate and comfort terrorists, pedophiles and career criminals, I think, is an abomination.”

Critics of Obama’s decision fear that housing suspected terrorists on U.S. soil opens the country to terrorist attacks.

On the safety of Americans, who could potentially live near former Guantanamo detainees, Mikulski said that while international law must be upheld, “we have to make sure that streets and neighborhoods don’t think that they are going to be the repository of Guantanamo prisoners.”

Holder replied: “I will work to strengthen the activities of the federal government to protect the American people from terrorism. I will use every available tactic to defeat our adversaries, and I will do so within the letter and the spirit of our Constitution.”

Pentagon PM Report

Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell held a press briefing. His opening statement concerned the defense authorization act which allows for an increase in pay raises for military personnel of 3.5 percent. He said that the Defense Department reiterates the president's request that Congress fully fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also commented on some new proposals that come out of the State of the Union address, particularly a preferential hiring option for military spouses across the government. Right now only the Department of Defense has preferential hiring for military spouses.

He announced a two day conference with the eight combatant commanders from Iraq, senior civilian leaders, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice was expected to speak to the conference group, which is also expected to meet with President Bush. Morrell answered a question about the president's figure of 20,000 troops to be withdrawn from Iraq, admitting that this is not the full surge force when support troops are considered. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has said that the rate of troop withdrawal will be conditions-based.



On Pakistan Morrell said that the U.S. stands ready to aid Pakistan militarily to fight terrorism, particularly in the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas of northern Pakistan. "But they have not asked at this point," he said.

Morrell said that the 2009 budget request was approximated at $70 billion dollars for the first quarter to cover the beginning of the Department of Defense fiscal year in October through the inauguration of a new president. After which Morrell said that the Defense Department will go back to request what will be needed at that time. He did emphasize that full funding had not been achieved for the fiscal 2008, "We're still about $102 billion short of what we need to do the job."

About an Army investigation into allegations that Iraqi detainees were killed after being captured on the battlefield last year Morrell was very cautious saying only that he could not comment very much on an ongoing investigation and that the military "takes all credible allegations seriously."