Congressman also calls for public release of info on detainees
Staff Report
Rep. Wolf online: www.wolf.house.gov
10th District Congressman Frank Wolf is again calling on the Obama administration to halt the release of Guantanamo Bay detainees to countries like Yemen in the wake of an attempt by a man with ties to extremist groups in Yemen to detonate an explosive device in a passenger jet over Detroit on Christmas Day.
“I implore you again to immediately halt these releases and answer the questions of the American people about your policies and who you are releasing. They deserve to know,” Wolf wrote in a letter dated today to President Obama.
“It is inconceivable that you would release terrorist detainees to Yemen and Afghanistan at the same time you are launching missiles at terrorist targets. Please stop these releases.”
Wolf, the ranking Republican on the House Appropriations subcommittee that funds the Justice Department, offered an amendment to the fiscal year 2010 omnibus appropriations legislation that would have required unclassified notifications about impending detainee releases, but the measure was defeated along party lines at the urging of the White House.
“Your administration has a moral obligation to release the names and information – including threat analyses – about those your administration has released,” Wolf wrote.
Wolf also has called on the administration to publicly release the updated Defense Intelligence Agency report on terrorist recidivism following former Guantanamo detainees.
“I have read the classified biographies of the detainees to be released. They are dangerous people. I am troubled by every one of the detainees who is being sent back,” Wolf said.
Copies of today’s letter from Wolf to Obama and earlier letters on this topic can be found online at www.wolf.house.gov/oversight.
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