‘We Want to Express Our Support for Expanding’ Guantanamo Bay: 11 GOP Senators to Trump

Guantanamo Bay was back in the mouths of politicians Monday when CNN reported that 11 GOP senators were urging President Trump to expand the use of the controversial prison facility.

The movement, which was championed by Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas, comes on the heels of a potential executive order about how the new national security team would deal with the prison and its detainees.

In a letter to President Trump, Sen. Moran — along with Senators Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Roy Blunt of Missouri, James Inhofe of Oklahoma, John Boozman of Arkansas, Tim Scott of South Carolina, Cory Gardner of Colorado, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Pat Roberts of Kansas, Steve Daines of Montana, and Orrin Hatch of Utah — stated:

We want to express our support for maintaining and expanding the utilization of the detention facility during your administration by detaining current and future enemy combatants who pose a threat to our national security.

During his presidential campaign, Trump suggested that he would be fine trying U.S. citizens in Gitmo military commissions, going further by saying that he wanted “a very safe place” to keep radical Islamic terrorists. He also made it very clear that he would look to reverse then President Obama’s momentum in closing the facility altogether.

The 11 senators are looking for a “full and judicious review” of the responsibilities of the release review board. They went further, though, requesting an “immediate suspension” of any actions that would permit the transfer or release of any remaining detainees.

According to the U.S. Government, as of January 19th there are currently 41 detainees held in the Guantanamo Bay facility.

[image via shutterstock]

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