Guantanamo Bay on the Potomac – Alexandria, VA
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Harrison
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alexandria american americans barack obama Democrats Gitmo guantanamo Guantanamo Bay islamic islamic terrorists Khalid Sheik Mohammed ksm Liberals Obama president prison trials virginia washington
Alexandria, VA or Gitmo on the Potomac
Call it a case of just deserts and principle over policy. During the 2008 presidental election, 60% of Fairfax County, Virginia voted for Barack Obama and 70% of Alexandria, Virginia residents voted for Barack Obama over John McCain. Now, it seems, they are getting results in the form of moving Guantanamo Bay inmates to Alexandria, VA to try them in Federal Courts! The most important inmate will be former al-Qaeda operations chief Khalid Sheik Mohammed.
The move to close Gitmo by President Obama was a political one and instead of having some of the most dangerous people in the world held in a secure facility away from any population centers we will now have them a short 25 minute drive away from Washington, D.C. in a courthouse surrounded by hotels, highways, schools, office buildings, and residential areas. Not surprisingly, the same people who voted for “change” are not too pleased, including the Democratic mayor of Alexandria:
“We would be absolutely opposed to relocating Guantanamo prisoners to Alexandria,” Mayor William D. Euille (D) said. “We would do everything in our power to lobby the president, the governor, the Congress and everyone else to stop it. We’ve had this experience, and it was unpleasant. Let someone else have it.”
According to the same Washington Post article:
Putting detainees on trial in Alexandria would mean moving them from an isolated island prison 90 miles from Florida to a neighborhood brimming with residents, thousands of federal employees and the new Westin Alexandria Hotel 190 feet from the courthouse door.
The irony here is so thick one could cut it with a knife. Having so many dangerous individuals in such an unsecure location may very well invite a terrorist attack. Remember, the people on trial might be viewed as murderers by many Americans but to their fellow Islamic terrorist brethren they are liberators who are fighting against the “Great Satan” and any of them would gladly die in martyrdom rather than wither away behind bars.
It would only take one or two car bombs or suicide bombers to kill many innocent people and strike a “blow” against the United States so close to Washington, D.C. Liberals might think closing Gitmo will send a “positive message” to other countries and that, somehow, they will suddenly love us but, in reality, these Islamic extremists are looking for any opportunity to kill “infidel” Americans.
As an American, I sincerely hope that there are no incidents while these trials are going on but, from a tactical situation, the entire trial process, which could drag on for years, is ripe for exploitation. Should anything happen, I wonder if those Alexandria residents who voted for Obama will still retain their optimism at having elected a man that has just made all of the people who live in that area much less safe?
For an interesting read check out Democratic Represenative Jim Moran’s reasons why closing Gitmo is a good idea.
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8:19 AM
A really one-sided view of the situation.
I used to live in Alexandria, and I can tell you that from my perspective, I would far rather they be moved there than that I have to live with Gitmo. My conscience prefers the possible dangers involved, and sometimes, righteous action and behavior invites danger. That does not make it less righteous.
10:33 AM
The security risks outlined in the article are real. Considering you do not live in Alexandria, VA you are placing a pretty large bet over principle. Were something to occur and innocent people were murdered by terrorists I hope you could sleep at night knowing it didn’t have to happen.
10:49 AM
Why do we need to scare people? Our federal detention facilities are more than capable of handling people like Khalid Sheik Mohammed. They do it all the time.
10:58 AM
I would disagree that discussing what could happen is the same as “scaring” people. If what I outlined scared you then it is the reality of the situation.
And previous high profile terrorists – like the WTC 1 bomber – are held far from population centers, which was my point. The prison/courthouse in Alexandria, VA is in the middle of a population center.
11:40 AM
Good one, Harrison. MOving these terrorist suspects fomr Gitmo was a stupid move. More liberal pandering.
1:35 PM
The security risks outlined in the article are real. Considering you do not live in Alexandria, VA you are placing a pretty large bet over principle. Were something to occur and innocent people were murdered by terrorists I hope you could sleep at night knowing it didn’t have to happen.
________________________
If I still lived there, I would absolutely say the same thing. There is really no price to be placed on retaining our democracy and our humanity.
Also Harrison, Joe Markowitz is right. It is not like we don’t do federal detentions daily. And, we have previously arrested and confined other terrorists in this country without incident. You appear to be exaggerating.
1:36 PM
By the way, you did not link to your source that I could see. Please link.
1:43 PM
“Democracy” and “humanity” as you call them can still be retained by placing them in the same Supermax high security prison in Colorado where other deadly criminals are held including Ramsey Yusef the first WTC bomber… far, far away from any population center.
The fact that you cannot concede moving these people to a remote facility is striking to me.
While your principles are noble they place innocent people at risk and, since you don’t live where these men will be held, it is an easy call on your part.
And the only other person tried in Old Town to be even remotely close in nature to KSM and the others was Zacharias Mousawi… a teeny, tiny fish and only one person, not 5. Therefore, there is no exageration in my article.
And as far as which link you did not see I would need specifics.
2:20 PM
I think the best point that Harrison makes is that the democratic mayor of Alexandria is opposed to this move. Irony at its best!
Although I am a little disappointed that this is the plan. After seeing the eCard that Barack Obama sent to the leaders of Iran, I was half expecting the Democrats to announce some kind of Gitmo foreign exchange program. Detainees would get to come spend a week in the homes of ordinary Americans as a humanistic means of understanding each others’ cultural differences. I was already having delightful visions of the week I would spend with Khalid Sheik Mohammed. We could go bowling, get caught up on 24, read from the Koran together, teach him some English slang, go get some frozen yogurt, watch him slit the throat of my two-year old daughter, go snowboarding… It would definitely be an action packed week.
8:15 PM
If I lived in Alexandria, I would be outraged. Locking up prisoners of a war with the general population (even if a federal prison) should never happen on home soil. That would require a separate facility to store these individuals. However, that is what we already have at Gitmo, so the only difference is we’re moving them from one federal facility (a base) to another federal facility. So why waste money building a new facility to begin with?
9:32 AM
Call it the politics of show.