From the Campaign Office of Senator Bill Brady for Governor
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Senator Bill Brady, Republican candidate for Governor, issued the following statement in response to Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s opinion regarding the proposed sale of the Thomson Correctional Center to the federal government:
“Because the legislature could be called on to vote on ceding state jurisdiction of the site at some point, I would urge the Governor to seek a vote in the General Assembly before any sale of the Thomson Correctional Center is completed. This is a serious matter, which I believe should be subject to full and open debate and complete transparency.”
Showing posts with label guantanamo bay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guantanamo bay. Show all posts
Friday, December 18, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Rep. Manzullo Issues Statement on President's Selection of Northwest Illinois as New Home for Gitmo Terrorists
From the Office of Congressman Don Manzullo
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
On Tuesday, Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL) issued the following statement reacting to President Obama’s decision to move up to 210 al Qaeda and Taliban terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to the Thomson Correctional Center in northwest Illinois.
STATEMENT
"I've always supported opening the Thomson Correctional Center as a full-fledged state or federal prison because it would provide needed jobs for residents of the region; however, I continue to have serious reservations about moving Guantanamo Bay terrorists to Thomson.
“When I first learned of the proposed transfer of the terrorists, I set out to discover the security impact of moving Guantanamo Bay to the United States – not closing its operations, but moving it to a new location. My primary objective has always been to protect the people I represent. I never believed these terrorists could escape from Thomson, but my concern – shared by Democratic Senator Jim Webb of Virginia., Independent Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, and former Democratic Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, who fought President Obama and succeeded in keeping Guantanamo from moving to Fort Leavenworth – is that the hatred the terrorists have toward Guantanamo would transfer to Thomson, Illinois, thus creating a magnet for terrorist activity.
“I received an in-depth briefing from the top architect of the plan – Phillip Carter from the Department of Defense (DoD) – who confirmed Thomson would become the largest concentration of incarcerated terrorists in the United States. Mr. Carter agreed with me there would be an increased security risk to northwest Illinois, but he had no way of estimating the extent of this threat. He said, however, he was confident that federal and local law enforcement officials could ‘manage the risk.’ I was shocked, because if there was no way to measure the threat, then how could it be ‘managed.’ He advised he would make available others at DoD for further briefings. I sought more information from DoD, only to discover that Mr. Carter had immediately resigned a few days after he briefed me. DoD refused further briefings for 11 days, and I learned little new at a second briefing.
“The White House said in a statement today: ‘Closing the detention center at Guantanamo is essential to protecting our national security and helping our troops by removing a deadly recruiting tool from the hands of al Qaeda.’ It’s that hatred I’m concerned will transfer to Thomson. The American people have a right to know the impact of moving Guantanamo’s operations to U.S. soil. Unfortunately, that information will never be known because on Thursday, December 11, language was inserted into the ‘omnibus’ spending bill to keep any information on the issue ‘classified,’ available only to Members of Congress, who cannot share its contents. There is enough unclassified information to release to the public without compromising sources or security, such as the stunning article that appeared in the Washington Post on November 29th which investigated the story of Yemeni Arif Rahim, whose brother, Uthman , has been detained at Guantanamo Bay for 8 years for attacking the USS Cole. Consider this passage in the story:
“Arif said he was confident that Obama would close Guantanamo next year. If he doesn’t, or if Utham and other detainees are sent to a prison in the US, many families would consider it an ever greater betrayal. ‘The families, their friends, their tribesmen will have more hatred for the United States,’ Arif said. ‘And perhaps they will consider taking the same path as the extremists.’
“I also inquired of several other agencies, trying to asses the impact these terrorists would have on American courts, but I had to turn to other sources. I discovered, not surprisingly, that the detainees will obtain new constitutional rights once they set foot on American soil, especially the ones to be housed at Thomson because they would be incarcerated permanently with no trial at all. In fact, the terrorists were originally sent to Guantanamo because the US needed not only a secure an impenetrable facility, but one off shore that limited constitutional rights because of dealing with the ‘military combatants.’ One only needs to consider the trial about to take place in federal court in New York City of Khalid Sheik Mohamamed to observe he is receiving more rights than a military tribunal in Guantanamo. I believe the people I represent need to know the impact on the federal courthouse in Rockford, whether trials would be held there as law yers work to assure them they are entitled to a trial. Even the Obama Administration says holding these terrorists without trial ‘is a gray area.’
“Because the decision to move Gitmo to Thomson has already been made, I’ll press every level of the federal government to enhance the security of the people of this area in order to protect their families, critical workplaces, infrastructure, and schools. And, in addition to continuing to work with Senator Durbin, I’ll bring to the attention of the President, the Governor, and Senator Burris the fact that northwest Illinois needs continued help on economic development, such as prioritizing the widening of U.S. Route 30 in Whiteside County and the last link of our interstate highway system, U.S. Route 20 from Freeport to Galena.”
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
On Tuesday, Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL) issued the following statement reacting to President Obama’s decision to move up to 210 al Qaeda and Taliban terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to the Thomson Correctional Center in northwest Illinois.
STATEMENT
"I've always supported opening the Thomson Correctional Center as a full-fledged state or federal prison because it would provide needed jobs for residents of the region; however, I continue to have serious reservations about moving Guantanamo Bay terrorists to Thomson.
“When I first learned of the proposed transfer of the terrorists, I set out to discover the security impact of moving Guantanamo Bay to the United States – not closing its operations, but moving it to a new location. My primary objective has always been to protect the people I represent. I never believed these terrorists could escape from Thomson, but my concern – shared by Democratic Senator Jim Webb of Virginia., Independent Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, and former Democratic Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, who fought President Obama and succeeded in keeping Guantanamo from moving to Fort Leavenworth – is that the hatred the terrorists have toward Guantanamo would transfer to Thomson, Illinois, thus creating a magnet for terrorist activity.
“I received an in-depth briefing from the top architect of the plan – Phillip Carter from the Department of Defense (DoD) – who confirmed Thomson would become the largest concentration of incarcerated terrorists in the United States. Mr. Carter agreed with me there would be an increased security risk to northwest Illinois, but he had no way of estimating the extent of this threat. He said, however, he was confident that federal and local law enforcement officials could ‘manage the risk.’ I was shocked, because if there was no way to measure the threat, then how could it be ‘managed.’ He advised he would make available others at DoD for further briefings. I sought more information from DoD, only to discover that Mr. Carter had immediately resigned a few days after he briefed me. DoD refused further briefings for 11 days, and I learned little new at a second briefing.
“The White House said in a statement today: ‘Closing the detention center at Guantanamo is essential to protecting our national security and helping our troops by removing a deadly recruiting tool from the hands of al Qaeda.’ It’s that hatred I’m concerned will transfer to Thomson. The American people have a right to know the impact of moving Guantanamo’s operations to U.S. soil. Unfortunately, that information will never be known because on Thursday, December 11, language was inserted into the ‘omnibus’ spending bill to keep any information on the issue ‘classified,’ available only to Members of Congress, who cannot share its contents. There is enough unclassified information to release to the public without compromising sources or security, such as the stunning article that appeared in the Washington Post on November 29th which investigated the story of Yemeni Arif Rahim, whose brother, Uthman , has been detained at Guantanamo Bay for 8 years for attacking the USS Cole. Consider this passage in the story:
“Arif said he was confident that Obama would close Guantanamo next year. If he doesn’t, or if Utham and other detainees are sent to a prison in the US, many families would consider it an ever greater betrayal. ‘The families, their friends, their tribesmen will have more hatred for the United States,’ Arif said. ‘And perhaps they will consider taking the same path as the extremists.’
“I also inquired of several other agencies, trying to asses the impact these terrorists would have on American courts, but I had to turn to other sources. I discovered, not surprisingly, that the detainees will obtain new constitutional rights once they set foot on American soil, especially the ones to be housed at Thomson because they would be incarcerated permanently with no trial at all. In fact, the terrorists were originally sent to Guantanamo because the US needed not only a secure an impenetrable facility, but one off shore that limited constitutional rights because of dealing with the ‘military combatants.’ One only needs to consider the trial about to take place in federal court in New York City of Khalid Sheik Mohamamed to observe he is receiving more rights than a military tribunal in Guantanamo. I believe the people I represent need to know the impact on the federal courthouse in Rockford, whether trials would be held there as law yers work to assure them they are entitled to a trial. Even the Obama Administration says holding these terrorists without trial ‘is a gray area.’
“Because the decision to move Gitmo to Thomson has already been made, I’ll press every level of the federal government to enhance the security of the people of this area in order to protect their families, critical workplaces, infrastructure, and schools. And, in addition to continuing to work with Senator Durbin, I’ll bring to the attention of the President, the Governor, and Senator Burris the fact that northwest Illinois needs continued help on economic development, such as prioritizing the widening of U.S. Route 30 in Whiteside County and the last link of our interstate highway system, U.S. Route 20 from Freeport to Galena.”
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Durbin, Quinn Praise Administration Decision to Purchase Thomson Correctional Center
From the Office of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn today praised the decision by the Obama Administration to proceed with the acquisition of a state of the art correctional facility in Thomson, Illinois.
“Thomson Correctional Center – a high security prison – has been sitting empty for eight years. The Obama Administration has put forward a plan to make it the safest prison in America and we are pleased that they have made this decision. This move will have a tremendously positive impact on the local economy -- creating more than 3,000 jobs and injecting more than $1 billion into the local economy. This is an opportunity to dramatically reduce unemployment, create thousands of good-paying jobs and breathe new economic life into this part of downstate Illinois.”
In a letter to Governor Quinn, sent by the U.S. Attorney General, the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretaries of State, Defense and Homeland Security, the federal government has signaled its intention to purchase and operate the prison.
They write: “We write to inform you that the President has directed, with our unanimous support, that the Federal Government proceed with the acquisition of the facility in Thomson. Not only will this help address the urgent overcrowding problem at our nation’s Federal prisons, but it will also help achieve our goal of closing the detention center at Guantanamo in a timely, secure, and lawful manner.”
The letter also addresses security concerns that have been raised about transferring Guantanamo detainees to the Thomson facility: “The security of the facility and the surrounding region is our paramount concern. The facility was built in 2001 to maximum security specifications, and after acquisition it will be enhanced to exceed perimeter security standards at the nation’s only “supermax” prison in Florence, Colorado, where there has never been an escape or external attack . . . The President has no intention of releasing any detainees in the United States. Current law effectively bars the release of the Guantanamo detainees on U.S. soil, and the Federal Government has broad authority under current law to detain individuals during removal proceedings and pending the execution of final removal orders.”
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn today praised the decision by the Obama Administration to proceed with the acquisition of a state of the art correctional facility in Thomson, Illinois.
“Thomson Correctional Center – a high security prison – has been sitting empty for eight years. The Obama Administration has put forward a plan to make it the safest prison in America and we are pleased that they have made this decision. This move will have a tremendously positive impact on the local economy -- creating more than 3,000 jobs and injecting more than $1 billion into the local economy. This is an opportunity to dramatically reduce unemployment, create thousands of good-paying jobs and breathe new economic life into this part of downstate Illinois.”
In a letter to Governor Quinn, sent by the U.S. Attorney General, the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretaries of State, Defense and Homeland Security, the federal government has signaled its intention to purchase and operate the prison.
They write: “We write to inform you that the President has directed, with our unanimous support, that the Federal Government proceed with the acquisition of the facility in Thomson. Not only will this help address the urgent overcrowding problem at our nation’s Federal prisons, but it will also help achieve our goal of closing the detention center at Guantanamo in a timely, secure, and lawful manner.”
The letter also addresses security concerns that have been raised about transferring Guantanamo detainees to the Thomson facility: “The security of the facility and the surrounding region is our paramount concern. The facility was built in 2001 to maximum security specifications, and after acquisition it will be enhanced to exceed perimeter security standards at the nation’s only “supermax” prison in Florence, Colorado, where there has never been an escape or external attack . . . The President has no intention of releasing any detainees in the United States. Current law effectively bars the release of the Guantanamo detainees on U.S. soil, and the Federal Government has broad authority under current law to detain individuals during removal proceedings and pending the execution of final removal orders.”
Monday, November 16, 2009
Schilling Criticizes Hare's Support of Bringing Guantanamo Detainees to Thomson
From the Campaign Office of Bobby Schilling for Illinois' 17th Congressional District
Sunday, November 15, 2009
EAST MOLINE, IL-- Bobby Schilling, candidate for Congress in the Illinois 17th Congressional District, criticized Congressman Hare's support of bringing Guantanamo Bay detainees to the Thomson Correctional Center:
"It is quite sad, that the only way in which Congressman Hare can create jobs is by filling an empty prison with Islamic terrorists. This shouldn't even be an option. There are plenty of states across the country that don't need a terrorist prison to create jobs. I can think of at least 10 better ways to bring jobs back to Illinois, other than sacrificing our security by bringing terrorists here.
"More than being sad, it is quite disappointing that Congressman Hare supports this measure. This will put Al-Qaeda terrorists within 50 miles of our children. It is unacceptable.
"I have been traveling the district, meeting with employers and workers, for a little less than a year now. Jobs aren't coming to the district because employers are punished at every turn they take. Congressman Hare should take a tour across the district to meet with employers and find out why they can't create more jobs, instead of bringing terrorists into our state.
"With skyrocketing debt and corrupt politicians, the last thing that Illinois is in need of is Al-Qaeda terrorists."
Schilling, a native of Rock Island, has served as a local union steward and also has 13 years of union experience. Schilling, a local business owner and father of nine children, is running on a platform of bringing jobs and real representation back to the 17th district.
For more information about Bobby Schilling please visit his website at www.bobby2010.com.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
EAST MOLINE, IL-- Bobby Schilling, candidate for Congress in the Illinois 17th Congressional District, criticized Congressman Hare's support of bringing Guantanamo Bay detainees to the Thomson Correctional Center:
"It is quite sad, that the only way in which Congressman Hare can create jobs is by filling an empty prison with Islamic terrorists. This shouldn't even be an option. There are plenty of states across the country that don't need a terrorist prison to create jobs. I can think of at least 10 better ways to bring jobs back to Illinois, other than sacrificing our security by bringing terrorists here.
"More than being sad, it is quite disappointing that Congressman Hare supports this measure. This will put Al-Qaeda terrorists within 50 miles of our children. It is unacceptable.
"I have been traveling the district, meeting with employers and workers, for a little less than a year now. Jobs aren't coming to the district because employers are punished at every turn they take. Congressman Hare should take a tour across the district to meet with employers and find out why they can't create more jobs, instead of bringing terrorists into our state.
"With skyrocketing debt and corrupt politicians, the last thing that Illinois is in need of is Al-Qaeda terrorists."
Schilling, a native of Rock Island, has served as a local union steward and also has 13 years of union experience. Schilling, a local business owner and father of nine children, is running on a platform of bringing jobs and real representation back to the 17th district.
For more information about Bobby Schilling please visit his website at www.bobby2010.com.
Statement from Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Andy McKenna on the Gitmo Detainees Moving to Illinois
From the Campaign Office of Andy McKenna for Governor
Saturday, November 14, 2009
“It appears that Governor Quinn’s only plan to cut spending and create jobs is free prisoners and bring terrorists to Illinois. I wholeheartedly oppose Governor Quinn and President Obama's efforts to move Gitmo detainees to our neighborhoods. This shows how out of touch Governor Quinn really is."
Andy McKenna and Matt Murphy recognize that the Thomson Correctional Center is underutilized, but this is not the direction we should take to maximize the facilities operations.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
“It appears that Governor Quinn’s only plan to cut spending and create jobs is free prisoners and bring terrorists to Illinois. I wholeheartedly oppose Governor Quinn and President Obama's efforts to move Gitmo detainees to our neighborhoods. This shows how out of touch Governor Quinn really is."
Andy McKenna and Matt Murphy recognize that the Thomson Correctional Center is underutilized, but this is not the direction we should take to maximize the facilities operations.
Brady Opposed to Housing Enemy Combatants in Illinois
From the Campaign Office of Senator Bill Brady for Governor
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Senator Bill Brady, Republican candidate for Governor, today issued the following statement regarding a proposal by President Obama and Governor Quinn to move Guantanamo Bay detainees to Thomson Correctional Center:
“I have grave concerns about shutting down Guantanamo Bay and moving dangerous enemy combatants to Illinois or any other facility on United States soil. These are individuals who pose a terrorist threat to our nation, and I do not believe housing them inside our national borders is wise, from a security standpoint or an economic standpoint. Certainly the cost of housing them at Thomson would be a federal budget issue, but providing heightened security outside the prison walls would most certainly be necessary and be a cost borne by Illinois taxpayers.
“I am committed, as Governor, to opening Thomson Correctional Center immediately to house the growing numbers of inmates within our state correctional system. Governor Quinn, even as he is releasing offenders before completion of their sentences, is moving to expand the state correctional system. With Thomson nearly empty, I question the logic of building selling off Thomson while building new state prison facilities.”
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Senator Bill Brady, Republican candidate for Governor, today issued the following statement regarding a proposal by President Obama and Governor Quinn to move Guantanamo Bay detainees to Thomson Correctional Center:
“I have grave concerns about shutting down Guantanamo Bay and moving dangerous enemy combatants to Illinois or any other facility on United States soil. These are individuals who pose a terrorist threat to our nation, and I do not believe housing them inside our national borders is wise, from a security standpoint or an economic standpoint. Certainly the cost of housing them at Thomson would be a federal budget issue, but providing heightened security outside the prison walls would most certainly be necessary and be a cost borne by Illinois taxpayers.
“I am committed, as Governor, to opening Thomson Correctional Center immediately to house the growing numbers of inmates within our state correctional system. Governor Quinn, even as he is releasing offenders before completion of their sentences, is moving to expand the state correctional system. With Thomson nearly empty, I question the logic of building selling off Thomson while building new state prison facilities.”
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