Fort Leavenworth Makes Short List for Gitmo Detainees

Not in our backyard. That is the message being sent from folks in Leavenworth, Kansas as talk continues on what to do with hundreds of detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

[kcmo]

Gitmo has been doing a wonder job for years, so why change? Just tell the bleeding hearts that they just don't understand. You can not be nice to someone that wants to kill you.

[xrep]

The area around the old maximum security prison in Jefferson City, MO, housed many parents and other family members of the prison population. My guess is that there would be a certain number of people who would move into Leavenworth just to be near prisoners who just also happen to be terrorists.

[wow]

Great, just what the local area needs! Not only let's bring in 229 detainees, but we should ENCOURAGE the families of terrorists/suspected terrorists to live in the community amongst us!

We don't have to be nice to people who want to kill us, but we SHOULD at least find out if they're guilty before a court/tribunal before we decide to put them in prison indefinitely.

The bottom line is this though. Bringing over 200 detainees to the local area paints a huge target on our soil. The soldiers that work the prison at Ft. Leavenworth are fully trained and capable of guarding these detainees. The problem is that there are thousands of family members that aren't part of the service. There is no reason that the government should be putting military families in the direct line of danger.

[Proud to be an American]

WHY, WHY, WHY, move a mess into the center of our counrty? This just does NOT make any sense! Leave them as far away as possible!

[Shorty Longstrokin]

All you "not-in-my-backyarders " need to get a grip, stop being ignorant and reactionary, and seriously take a step back and look at things rationally, and that means you too, Brownback and Jenkins.

The people of Leavenworth and the folks that operate the maximum security prison have been doing a damn fine job for years, so I say let them continue to do that job. This isn't the county jail we're talking about people. No one has ever escaped from there. The security at Fort Leavenworth's penitentiary is one small step below a SUPERMAX facility, and most of the people that will be moved likely have minimal or no ties to terrorist groups.(All of the harshest ones have either been tried, convicted or released to their home countries.) If the GITMO detainees end up at the "Big Top," you can bet security will be increased even more, potentially opening up the door for more job opportunities at the prison.

If you seriously think that housing prisoners there makes Leavenworth more of a threat than it already is, you are greatly mistaken at the least and paranoid at the most. I'd love to see some outside terrorist group try to strike such a place in the Heart of America. If they couldn't do it on the coastline of foreign soil, they damn sure wouldn't be able to do it here.

[Igidur]

Let's just kick the whole prison out of Leavenworth.... C'mon people, we need to stop the paranoia. Who is really afraid of these couple of dozen people? NOBODY has ever escaped from SuperMax prison.

We should be proud that Leavenworth is considered for such an important job. It would be like saying "No Nuke Silos in Our Backyard" back in the 50's and 60's because Russians will bomb them.

If everyone shrks the responsibility our country needs what will become of us.

[Indulge Me]

The military prison (USDB) on Fort Leavenworth is not the federal prison (USP) Leavenworth. The post-trial US military prisoners are quite different from the pre-trial foreign civilian detainees at Gitmo and can not be held in the same facility. Military prisoners keep their hair cut, get up early for work detail, and can be court-martialed again if they misbehave.

Neither the USP Leavenworth nor the USDB are supermax prisons. There have been numerous escapes from both. There is no supermax prison on Fort Leavenworth.

The majority of the military base on Fort Leavenworth is a college campus and family housing, where hundreds and hundreds of officers and their families live for a year to study at the US Army staff college.

Moving Gitmo detainees to Fort Leavenworth seems to be a very poor idea.

[KENNETH DALY]

I think that they should reopen alcatraz and house the detainees there!!!!!!!!!!

[Iconoclast]

This may seem a bit harsh but why dont we just do like they do to innocent people...cover our heads in shrouds, rant like idiots on international tv declaring them criminals to God and then OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!!!!!!!

[Freedom]

It is a bad decision to move terrorist suspects to a family town. Of course their friends will try to help them get free, after all they don't want to be in prison; they would like to kill or hurt anyone is for democracy and freedom. Freedom is not free, we sacrifice lives everyday so America can be a free nation.

[KDG1]

As a resident of Leavenworth and federal employee on the fort, allow me to chime in. Although the moving of the Gitmo prisoners would mean big federal money and more jobs I can't think of anyone here that supports this idea. That includes Democrats, Republicans, liberals and conservatives. The fort is small and its primary focus is on officer education, such as the Command and General Staff College. The old massive military prison was demolished some seven years ago and the new facility is basically a glorified county jail. The prisoners are typically not the career criminals that are in civilian prisons. The nearby federal penitentiary was reduced from maximum to medium security due to its age. Security at the gates already causes traffic jams and no doubt the increased security needed would make that even worse. Leavenworth is not located out on the prairie as you may think, but is only a dozen or so miles from Kansas City and the surrounding metropolitan area. Yes, the prisons are literally in our back yards. I could go on and on, but you get my drift.

[POPKS]

You know? This system really stinks. Those jokers in Washington are elected to represent us, not to just do whatever they want to do. Same with the healthcare thing...if we don't want it, don't force it on us!

[A Mothers Voice in KC Mo]

If they want to put them in some ones back yard try putting them in Washington DC's back yard. It's just one more step for their plans of the big USA take over. So go ahead and give them front roll seats.

[An American]

The moving of Gitmo prisoners to Kansas or even to the soil of the United States is RIDICULOUS. Anyone who would want to support this or think that this would be an ok action to do just to bring money in has got to be out of their mind. These people are terrorists who should not even be allowed here. We imprisoned these people to Gitmo who have no respect or feelings toward human life and now the govt is wanting to bring them here. This makes no sense at all. Having them right in my backyard puts off a unsafe & uncomfortable feeling which I shouldn't have to feel in my own country. Our soilders are fighting face to face with these people everyday to protect us from these losers and then you want to bring them to our soil which is almost like telling our soldiers that yes you did protect the american people but now the american people have to protect themselves. If these prisoners escaped on our soil what in the world would we do.....why should we even have to worry about that. The Kansas City area would be more likely to be targeted by al-qaeda terrorists. Keep them in Gitmo prison where they have been for a long time and should stay there where they belong. Us Americans should not have this on our back.

[Amy]

I think it would be a good idea to build and house the detainees. Do you really think their terrorist buddies will come to break them out? It would create more jobs in this area, which we sorly need. Not only would construction jobs increase during the building of the facility, or adding to current facilities, it at it's completion crease more jobs for corrections officers. News flash, there aleardy are terrorists being held in the area facilities, USP, USDB, LCF, and CCA. We would be no less safe then we already are.

[diane collins]

I am totally against the criminals comming to Kansas or actuallllly even being moved from where they are now. Why are they even having to go somewhere else. They are our enemy for Christs sake and they should be treated as such. They dont deserve to live in top notch conditions. Think about this.....they tried to kill us! What are we thinking? I am not in any government office of any kind but I AM a middle class tax paying citizen who does not need a rocket scientists to tell me that our president made an absolute wrong decision to move the criminals. Come on people.....step up to the plate and do what is right in this situation and get those criminals tried and sentenced. We dont want them in Kansas!!!!! If you have to do anything at all, send them to the prision that was mentioned about closing down. These criminals do not need to be around decent human beings..they should be out there all by themselves!!!!!!!

[Joe doctorO]

Shorty Longstrokin wrote:

All you "not-in-my-backyarders " need to get a grip, stop being ignorant and reactionary, and seriously take a step back and look at things rationally, and that means you too, Brownback and Jenkins.
The people of Leavenworth and the folks that operate the maximum security prison have been doing a damn fine job for years, so I say let them continue to do that job. This isn't the county jail we're talking about people. No one has ever escaped from there. The security at Fort Leavenworth's penitentiary is one small step below a SUPERMAX facility, and most of the people that will be moved likely have minimal or no ties to terrorist groups.(All of the harshest ones have either been tried, convicted or released to their home countries.) If the GITMO detainees end up at the "Big Top," you can bet security will be increased even more, potentially opening up the door for more job opportunities at the prison.
If you seriously think that housing prisoners there makes Leavenworth more of a threat than it already is, you are greatly mistaken at the least and paranoid at the most. I'd love to see some outside terrorist group try to strike such a place in the Heart of America. If they couldn't do it on the coastline of foreign soil, they damn sure wouldn't be able to do it here.

Leavenworth will be the new islamic getto. Friend and Family will flock here to be close to their loved ones.
Why would You place the enemy in the middle of the heartland of our country. They are being given access or oppertunity to strike. If they did, hope you like spam. and FEMA food rations. One dirty bomb would devistate the bread basket of our country. Not to mention all of our families.
Personlly I dont think they'll be moved here. But if they are. Obamas is has just lost the next election.

[Mitch]

Send the towelheads to a Prison in Washington DC

[Sarge-Major Wes]

A bullet in their necks would save American taxpayers a ton of money! I know the liberals will moan over this but they are the ones who ruined this country, so who cares if they don't like it?

[Christie]

Amy wrote:

I think it would be a good idea to build and house the detainees. Do you really think their terrorist buddies will come to break them out? It would create more jobs in this area, which we sorly need. Not only would construction jobs increase during the building of the facility, or adding to current facilities, it at it's completion crease more jobs for corrections officers. News flash, there aleardy are terrorists being held in the area facilities, USP, USDB, LCF, and CCA. We would be no less safe then we already are.

NEWS FLASH - we may already be housing some terrorists here but we do NOT need over 200 more of them here. Are you really that naive to think that nothing could happen here in the heartland let alone the USA? Do you remember 9-11 or were sleeping that day and missed the whole thing. It's that kind of thinking that can catch us off guard. Just because we are from the USA doesn't mean that we are invincible. I also don't care if their is a little bit more money to be made in this situation. The money doesn't outweigh the risk. WAKE UP!!!