Alternative locations for detains from Guantanamo Bay prison are being sought by the Obama administration, while 9-11 conspirators are to be tried in New York federal court. Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan is questioning both decisions.
The Janesville Republican believes the military tribunal system is better than the trials in federal court. “They’re being used right now, it’s already in place,” he says of the tribunals. “But to take the actual mastermind of 9-11, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his co-conspitators, and put him into federal court, reveals our intelligence, criminalizes the act instead of making it an act of war, and bypasses the military tribunal system.”
AUDIO: Rep. Paul Ryan (:22 MP3)
Ryan has plenty of questions, about using the Thomson Correctional Center in Illinois as a new home for Gitmo detains. “Whether or not new rights afix to them, visitation and things like this, I don’t know the answer to that question,” he says. “The point is, Gitmo works very well, it works fine. These are enemy combatants found on the battlefield.”
AUDIO: Rep. Paul Ryan (:16 MP3)
Ryan believes the president worked out a deal with Illinois’ governor and Senator Richad Durbin for use of the prison, which is a Supermax site.
(WRJN’s Tom Karkow submitted this report)