Word on Capitol Hill is that the Obama Administration has given up on persuading Congress to allow Guantanamo Bay detainees cleared for release -- those no longer deemed "enemy combatants" -- to resettle in the United States. While the entire Congress was highly opposed to the move -- these mistaken captives of seven years who have been freed for release by the government for months now, are EVIL TERRORISTS -- much of the push-back against the Obama Administration was led by House Republican Frank Wolf, of Virginia.
Wolf argued that releasing Gitmo detainees into the United States would post a devastating national security risk, which is possibly true, after the United States beat them up for no reason for several years.
Most notable is the case of the Uighurs, a sect of Chinese Muslims deemed terrorists by the Chinese government, but who had really no interest in doing anything against the United States. (You can only take on so many superpowers at once.) Seventeen of these folks, who were captured near the Afghanistan/Pakistan border in 2002 where they were seeking refuge from the Chinese, had hoped to be released in the United States (NOT CHINA). Specifically, they had hoped to join a 300-plus congregation of Uighurs in Northern Virginia, who sought to help resettle the detainees and incorporate them into American society.
Frank Wolf, however, made the very basic argument that no, they are obviously still terrorists:
But lawmakers -- notably Republican Frank Wolf, who represents some of Washington's suburbs in Virginia -- led a drive against resettling the men, alleging that they still posed a security risk.
Very brave, Congressman.
Jim Newell writes for Wonkette and IvyGate.
