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ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYS NATIONAL SECURITY A FEDERAL ISSUE
Congressman Gresham Barrett is passing the buck on his responsibility to keep terrorists out of South Carolina.
That’s the response from State Attorney General Henry McMaster a day after Barrett asked the candidates for South Carolina governor to sign a letter to President Barack Obama asking the White House not to transfer Guantanamo Bay detainees to the Naval Brig in North Charleston.
“Closing the terrorist facility at Guantanamo Bay and transferring dangerous detainees anywhere in the continental United States would be a huge mistake,” McMaster said in a statement Tuesday. “As a candidate for governor, I am more than willing to sign a letter to the president objecting to that idea. Also, as South Carolina’s attorney general and as an American citizen, I will do everything I can to help prevent this potential disaster.”
The Obama Administration ordered the Guantanamo facility closed by January 2010 and has been eying the Charleston facility for months.
On Monday, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer called on McMaster to take legal action to prevent the suspected terrorists from being transferred to South Carolina. But McMaster said it is the job of Congress, not state officials, to take action.
“Congress should have taken action on this issue long ago. National security is a federal issue,” McMaster said. “The U.S. Congress is the branch of government with the jurisdiction and the legal authority to stop the president from making unwise decisions that threaten the security of our nation.
McMaster called on the state’s Congressional delegation to take decisive action.
“They should seek an immediate Act of Congress to stop President Obama from transferring Guantanamo Bay terrorists to South Carolina or to any other state on the American mainland,” McMaster said. “Even if they can’t get such an act passed by the Democratic Congress, they should at least make the effort as a way of drawing public attention to this potential disaster.”
[...] 11/04/2009: McMaster: Congress must act to keep Gitmo detainees out of SC [...]
Who’s playing politics? Looks like Barrett is the only candidate actually doing something to protect our state from terrorists.
For Immediate Release
November 04, 2009
Contact: Emily Tyner Press Secretary 202-225-5301
DEMINT, BARRETT, BROWN AND WILSON URGE PRESIDENT OBAMA TO REMOVE SOUTH CAROLINA FROM CONSIDERATION AS NEW HOME FOR GITMO TERRORISTS
WASHINGTON, DC—Yesterday, Congressman J. Gresham Barrett (SC-03) sent a letter to President Obama urging him to develop a detention process that would keep Guantanamo Bay detainees from entering the United States under any circumstances. Senator Jim DeMint, Congressman Henry E. Brown (SC-01) and Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02) joined Congressman Barrett in signing the letter to President Obama. The full text of the letter is included below.
Dear Mr. President:
We, the undersigned, strongly oppose the transfer of any detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to United States soil to include any state or federal facility in the State of South Carolina, including the Naval Consolidated Brig in North Charleston.
The terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay present a serious threat to the safety and security of the American people. Transferring any of these detainees to the United States will make our nation’s citizens a greater target for terrorism. Any such move is irresponsible, ill-advised, and we will oppose it vigorously.
Therefore, we respectfully urge you to develop a detention process that keeps these known terrorists off of United States soil and out of South Carolina. Thank you for your time and consideration of this matter.
Sincerely,
Jim DeMint
Member of Congress
J. Gresham Barrett
Member of Congress
Henry E. Brown
Member of Congress
Joe Wilson
Member of Congress
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[...] 11/04/2009: McMaster: Congress must act to keep Gitmo detainees out of SC [...]
[...] Congressman with the ability to do something, Gresham Barrett, passed the buck on his responsibility to keep the detainees off U.S. soil. Rather than taking action, Barrett asked [...]