Will Meek Reject White House Decision To Import Gitmo Detainees To U.S.?

Wednesday, 10 June 2009 12:57

WASHINGTON – Yesterday the Obama Administration moved forward with an effort to begin transferring terrorist detainees into the United States. According to the Associated Press, Ahmed Ghailani 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.

The Administration’s decision flies in the face of a recent Gallup poll in which those surveyed said the detention center at Guantanamo Bay should not be closed by a wide 2-1 margin. According to the survey, “Americans express even more widespread opposition to the idea of moving the prisoners to prisons in their own states if Guantanamo is closed.” Most Americans – by a margin of 40-18 percent – said the prison had strengthened national security rather than weakened it.

Despite these facts, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-FL) and his Democrat colleagues in Washington have remained conspicuously silent on whether or not they support the Obama Administration’s decision to move forward and bring detainees to the United States.

“Floridians deserve to know: will Congressman Meek remain silent about the White House’s decision to ignore the American people’s objections to transferring Guantanamo Bay detainees to America, or will he speak up and oppose this decision, which was rejected by an overwhelming consensus of Congress?” asked National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokeswoman Amber Wilkerson.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

“U.S. Authorities Have Brought The First Guantanamo Bay Detainee To The United States, Flying Him Into New York To Face Trial For Bombing U.S. Embassies, The Justice Department Said Tuesday.” (“Justice Dept.: 1st Gitmo Detainee Arrives In US,” The Associated Press, 6/9/09)

• “[Ahmed] Ghailani Was Indicted In 1998 For The Al-Qaida Bombings Of U.S. Embassies In Kenya And Tanzania, Attacks Which Killed More Than 224 People, Including 12 Americans.” (“Justice Dept.: 1st Gitmo Detainee Arrives In US,” The Associated Press, 6/9/09)

JUST 3 WEEKS AGO THE SENATE VOTED 90-6
AGAINST BRINGING DETAINEES TO THE U.S.

SENATE PASSED (90-6): “None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act or any prior Act may be used to transfer, release, or incarcerate any individual who was detained as of May 19, 2009 at Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to or within the United States.” (S.AMDT 1133, Roll Call Vote # 196, Agreed To 90-6: R 41-0; D 47-6; I 2-0, 5/20/09)

PREVIOUS TRIAL TROUBLE:
RAMZI YOUSEF TRIAL TIPPED OFF TERRORISTS TO A COMMUNICATIONS LINK

MICHAEL MUKASEY, Former Attorney General: “Again, during the trial of Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, an apparently innocuous bit of testimony in a public courtroom about delivery of a cell phone battery was enough to tip off terrorists still at large that one of their communication links had been compromised. That link, which in fact had been monitored by the government and had provided enormously valuable intelligence, was immediately shut down, and further information lost.” (Michael Mukasey, “Jose Padilla Makes Bad Law,” The Wall Street Journal, 8/22/07)

ZACARIAS MOUSSAOUI TRIAL INADVERTENTLY LEAKED SENSITIVE MATERIAL

“The Government Went To The Judge And Said, ‘Oops, We Gave Moussaoui Some Documents He Shouldn’t Have.’ … Documents That The Government Says Should Have Been Classified.” B. WILLIAMS: “Pete, also you mentioned Zacarias Moussoui in a separate context. Late tonight, a story has come out involving him. He, of course, is in jail during all this trial process. He comes in to possession of classified government documents from the United States government passed to him by US marshals. How did this happen?” P. WILLIAMS: “Well, first of all, we don't know what's in the material. It happened because the government is required under federal trial rules to give a defendant information that could be useful to the defense. That's the standard procedure in a criminal case. Secondly, the government has given Moussaoui thousands and thousands and thousands of pages of documents. Now, in early August, it turns out, we learned today from court documents, the government went to the judge and said, 'Oops, we gave Moussaoui some documents he shouldn't have.' Now, these are not classified documents, interestingly enough. At least that's my reading of the court documents I've been looking at so far. These are unclassified documents that the government says should have been classified because they contain national security material.” (“FBI Reveals New Details About 9/11 Hijackers,” CNBC, 9/26/02)

EAST AFRICA EMBASSY BOMBING TRIALS AIDED OSAMA BIN LADEN

“The Cost Of Disclosing Information Unwisely Became Clear After The New York Trials Of Bin Laden Associates For The 1998 Bombings Of U.S. Embassies In Africa. Some Of The Evidence Indicated That The National Security Agency, The U.S. Foreign Eavesdropping Organization, Had Intercepted Cell Phone Conversations. Shortly Thereafter, Bin Laden's Organization Stopped Using Cell Phones To Discuss Sensitive Operational Details, U.S. Intelligence Sources Said.” (“U.S. Wants To Build Case Against Bin Laden Without Aiding Him,” The Star-Ledger, 9/26/01)

“More Details About The Use Of Satellite Phones By Mr. Bin Laden And His Lieutenants Were Revealed By Federal Prosecutors In The 2001 Trial In Federal District Court In Manhattan Of Four Men Charged With Conspiring To Bomb Two American Embassies In East Africa In 1998.” (“Bush Account Of A Leak’s Impact has Support,” The New York Times, 12/20/05)

OMAR ABDEL RAHMAN (“BLIND SHEIK”) TRIAL
PROVIDED INTEL TO OSAMA BIN LADEN

MICHAEL MUKASEY, Former Attorney General: “In The Course Of Prosecuting Omar Abdel Rahman … The Government Was Compelled--As It Is In All Cases That Charge Conspiracy--To Turn Over A List Of Unindicted Co-Conspirators To The Defendants. … Within 10 Days A Copy Of That List Reached Bin Laden In Khartoum” “In fact, terrorism prosecutions in this country have unintentionally provided terrorists with a rich source of intelligence. For example, in the course of prosecuting Omar Abdel Rahman (the so-called ‘blind sheik’) and others for their role in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and other crimes, the government was compelled--as it is in all cases that charge conspiracy--to turn over a list of unindicted co-conspirators to the defendants. That list included the name of Osama bin Laden. As was learned later, within 10 days a copy of that list reached bin Laden in Khartoum, letting him know that his connection to that case had been discovered.” (Michael Mukasey, “Jose Padilla Makes Bad Law,” The Wall Street Journal, 8/22/07)

Post-Trial: The Blind Sheik’s Lawyer, Lynne Stewart, Smuggled Orders To Terrorists

• “A Veteran Civil Rights Lawyer Was Convicted Thursday Of Crossing The Line By Smuggling Messages Of Violence From One Of Her Jailed Clients - A Radical Egyptian Sheik - To His Terrorist Disciples On The Outside. The jury deliberated 13 days over the past month before convicting Lynne Stewart, 65, a firebrand, left-wing activist known for representing radicals and revolutionaries in her 30 years on the New York legal scene. The trial, which began last June, focused attention on the line between zealous advocacy and criminal behavior by a lawyer.” (“N.Y. Lawyer Convicted Of Aiding Terrorists,” AP, 2/10/05)