Sunday, April 5, 2009

75% of Americans Can't Be Wrong

A few days ago I noted that residents of Old Town Alexandria overwhelmingly oppose the idea of shipping terrorist detainees from Guantanamo Bay to their local Federal Courthouse. They aren't alone. According to Rasmussen Reports, 75% of Americans oppose bringing GITMO's inmates into the United States.

President Obama’s intelligence chief said last week that some inmates at the Guantanamo terrorist prison camp may be released in the United States, but just 13% of U.S. voters think that should be allowed.

Seventy-five percent (75%) say Guantanamo inmates should not be released in this country, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure.

For 75% of voters, safety is more important than fairness in determining where terrorist suspects are released. Only 17% say fairness is more important.

National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair also said some of these inmates may receive financial assistance from the government to ease their transition into society. Seventy-four percent (74%) oppose giving taxpayer money to former Guantanamo prisoners to help them return to society.

Sixteen percent (16%) think taxpayers should provide money to the inmates.


Assuming the Obama administration is serious about bringing some of the GITMO crowd to the U.S., I wonder whether they will be admitted conditionally or permanently, and how they will qualify for Green Cards? Or will Congress amend the immigration laws to create some special category of visa for them? Maybe the H-1T (for terrorist)?

My mind boggles at the problems this could present. Do these inmate/applicants even have passports? If not, will their home countries - like Yemen, home to the majority of the detainees - issue them passports? And then there are the usual admissibility questions. Do they have criminal records? Are they considered security risks? Do they have good moral character? Have they previously applied for a visa and been rejected? Do they have a legitimate reason for entry? Visible means of sustenance? Communicable diseases?

Why exactly are we trying to close down Camp GITMO?

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