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 U.S.
Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) returned from
touring Guantanamo Bay Monday evening, capping a
full day of meetings and tours of the detention
facilities located at the Guantanamo Bay Naval
Base on the island of Cuba.
“This tour was an opportunity to understand
first-hand the enormous challenge facing
military pesonnel and lawyers that work to keep
America safe. I was able to tour the legal
and detention facilities, as well as talk with a
number of military personnel and lawyers about
how the United States treats and handles
detainees from the global war on terror,” said
Risch. “I can say without a doubt that a
lot of what is said in the press about
Guantanamo is inaccurate and overblown.”
Since 2002, Guantanamo has held some of the most
dangerous terrorists and combatants, and
President Bush sought to try detainees through
military tribunals. As a result of the
U.S. Supreme Court case,
Hamdan v. Rumsfeld,
Congress drafted the Military Commissions Act,
which was signed into law in October 2006 and
provided the legal authority for the United
States to try detainees.
Unfortunately, in January 2009 President Obama
issued an executive order to close the detention
center and transfer the detainees. In
January, Congress prohibited the transfer of
detainees from Guantanamo Bay to the United
States, and six months ago, President Obama
reversed his position, issuing a new executive
order to try detainees using the military
commissions authorized by Congress.
“While some detainees were able to be released
or transferred to other countries for detention,
there remains a clear case for maintaining the
detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay,”
concluded Risch.
Traveling with Senator Risch on the military
tour were Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kansas),
Senator John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), and
Senator Roy Blunt (R-Missouri).
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