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Obama Threatens to Veto Bill Prohibiting Gitmo Transfers

(Updated)

Barack Obama
AP
September 13, 2016

The Obama administration on Tuesday threatened to veto legislation that would prevent the transfer of remaining Guantanamo Bay detainees to foreign countries or federal prisons in the United States.

The White House’s Office of Management and Budget said in a statement that the administration "strongly objects" to the Guantanamo Detainee Transfer Prohibition Act, which would prohibit the use of federal funds to transfer any individual detained at the military prison at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba, to either a foreign country or the United States.

"As the administration has said many times before, the continued operation of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay weakens our national security by draining resources, damaging our relationships with key allies and partners, and emboldening violent extremists," the statement read.

"This bill represents an effort not only to extend the facility’s operation–as have the other unwarranted legislative restrictions on transfers–but to bring to a standstill the substantial progress the administration has made in safely and securely reducing the facility’s population."

The administration warned that, should the bill reach Obama’s desk, "his senior advisers would recommend he veto the bill."

The legislation was introduced by Rep. Jackie Walorski (R., Ind.) and as of Tuesday afternoon had 67 cosponsors.

Walorski criticized the administration’s threat to veto the bill, calling it a purely political move.

"This administration is so intent on fulfilling a campaign promise to close Gitmo that it’s released more than three dozen detainees this year and cleared another 20 for transfer," Walorski said in a statement to the Washington Free Beacon. "Their opposition to my bill blocking further transfers until new safeguards are in place is not surprising, but it is disappointing that the administration continues to put politics ahead of our national security."

Obama and Republicans in Congress have sparred over the administration’s push to close the Guantanamo Bay military prison. A plan submitted by the president earlier this year would involve transferring detainees deemed too dangerous to release to prisons inside the U.S., which is prohibited under current law.

The Obama administration has accelerated its transfers of prisoners to foreign countries this year, initiating the largest-ever transfer of 15 detainees on Aug. 15. The release followed a Washington Post report that former Guantanamo detainees had attacked U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan, killing roughly half a dozen Americans.

Members of the House Intelligence Committee penned a letter to Obama last month objecting to the transfer of "increasingly dangerous terrorists" to foreign countries, which they argued jeopardizes U.S. forces operating abroad.

"As you continue to draw down the prisoner population at Guantanamo Bay, you are releasing increasingly dangerous terrorists who are more closely linked to al-Qa’ida and attacks against the U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan," the lawmakers wrote. "This largest-ever release includes several who trained in al-Qa’ida training camps, were bodyguards for Usama bin Laden, and fought at Tora Bora. They were non-compliant with their interrogators and hostile towards the Joint Task Force Guantanamo guards."

According to data from the Director of National Intelligence, roughly 30 percent of ex-Guantanamo detainees are confirmed to have rejoined terrorist activities or are believed to have done so.

Currently, 61 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay.

UPDATE 6:48 P.M.: This post was updated to include comment from Rep. Jackie Walorski.