As President Obama begins his last year in office in pursuit of a personal legacy rather than by implementing policies that will benefit the nation, his plan to close Guantanamo has moved into high gear despite evidence of the danger it presents to the safety of the American people.
On Monday, the president approved the release of a terrorist with ties to Osama bin Laden who has openly threatened to kill Americans as soon as he is free.
Muhamad Abd al-Rahman al-Shumrani, who is thought to have served as a bodyguard for bin Laden, is the fourth Guantanamo detainee released so far this year with nine more releases being expected by the beginning of February.
A report by the Director of National Intelligence claims that up to one-third of all detainees released from Guantanamo “re-engage regardless of any conditions” imposed upon them or agreed upon by the receiving country.
Al Qaeda-linked Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalif Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby were released on January 6, and two days later, Obama ordered the release of another, Faez Ahmed Al-Kandari, who is also linked to the terror group, as a recruiter for jihadists.
The Obama administration has said that the president is committed to releasing the remaining 102 detainees before he leaves office on January 20, 2017 so the next president won’t have to be “confronted with the same set of challenges,” according to Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, however a prison census lower than 100 would support the president’s argument that the facility is too expensive to maintain.
The most recently released detainee, al-Shumrani has been described as a “high risk” to the United States according leaked military documents.
“Since transfer to [Gitmo], detainee has threatened the guard staff, has preached extremist ideology to other detainees, and has indicated his intent to kill Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan if released.”
Information in his classified assessment file rated the probability of recidivism as high.
“If released without rehabilitation, close supervision, and means to successfully reintegrate into his society as a law-abiding citizen, it is assessed detainee would immediately seek out prior associates and reengage in hostilities and extremist support activities at home and abroad.”
The Director of Intelligence report also noted that the transfer of Guantanamo detainees to countries involved in the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East are particularly worrisome, but the president’s plan to move them to so-called “Super Max” security prisons within the United States designed to house the most dangerous male inmates in need of tight control, such as the one located in Florence, Colorado has met with resistance from states and localities.
Michael McCaul (R-TX), Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee Chairman released a statement calling for the president to “reassess its reckless detainee policies. “At a time when Islamist extremists are surging worldwide, President Obama's policy of releasing hardened terrorists from the Guantanamo Bay facility is replenishing their ranks.”
- http://usherald.com/obamas-prisoner-release-included-muslim-swore-kill-americans/#
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