Administration Moves Forward With Detainee Importation Plan As Harry Reid Tests The Political Winds

Tuesday, 09 June 2009 00:00

WASHINGTON ? In the wake of a string of inconsistent positions and statements taken by Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid in recent weeks, the Obama Administration moved forward today with an effort to begin transferring terrorist detainees into the United States.? According to the Associated Press, Ahmed Ghailani, who was indicted for the al-Qaida bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, attacks that killed more than 224 people, including 12 Americans, arrived in New York City earlier today.?

Notably, today?s action by the Administration comes just days after Senator Reid held a press conference on Capitol Hill and said that ?under no circumstances will we allow terrorists to be released into the United States.?? Just yesterday, however, the Capitol Hill newspaper, RollCall, noted the inconsistent positions on Guantanamo taken by Senator Reid, reporting the following:

On May 20, 50 members of the Senate Democratic Conference went on record as NIMBYs when it comes to bringing prisoners from the Guant?namo Bay, Cuba, military prison to the United States?.Plus, prior to the May 20 vote, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) appeared to unequivocally rule out ever allowing detainees into the United States, whether through continued incarceration or through release.?

At a news conference May 19, Reid was repeatedly asked to clarify his stance on Guant?namo prisoners.? ?Part of what we don?t want is them be put in prisons in the United States. We don?t want them around the United States,? he told reporters.?

But his answer was also muddied by his insistence that Congress wanted to see Obama?s plan before doing anything regarding detainees. ?Why don?t we wait for a plan from the president?? he asked. ?All we?re doing now is nitpicking on language that I have given you.?

?It defies logic that Senator Reid could one day be so unequivocal in his opposition to bringing detainees into the United States, but yet the next day, say he needs to wait to see a plan from the President,? National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Brian Walsh said today.? ?Now that the Administration has made clear it is moving forward with importing Guantanamo detainees into America, Nevadans deserve a clear and consistent answer from Senator Reid ? where does he stand?? It?s inconceivable that the Leader of the United States Senate is unable to take a position and continues to flip-flop on such a critical issue.?

A reason for Senator Reid?s inconsistency on Guantanamo could be a new Gallup poll released last week that indicated his support for closing the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay is overwhelmingly opposed by the American people.

By a wide 2-1 margin, those surveyed by Gallup say Guantanamo should not be closed, while most Americans ? by a margin of 40%-18% ? also said the prison had strengthened national security rather than weakened it.?

Notably, these poll findings come less than a month after Reid reiterated his desire to close the military prison at Guantanamo, and as he prepares to face re-election next year with some of the lowest poll numbers of any incumbent Senator.?