Dear Mr. Stoda ,
Thank you for your letter regarding detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
As you know, shortly after taking office, President Obama signed an order to suspend the proceedings of the Congressionallyauthorized military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay for 120 days and required the facility to shut down within the year. The President’s initial January 2010 deadline was missed because the administration failed to articulate an alternative policy for detainees that would be acceptable to Congress and would ensure that the world’s most dangerous terrorists aren’t brought into America’s communities. Given the unique threat posed by those who remain detained at Guantanamo and the high risk they pose to the United States, the dangerous individuals held in this facility should not be allowed into the United States, and an offshore military prison is the safest place for them to remain.
Our country has had a legal framework in place for years to allow for the trial of these individuals using military commissions. It’s my hope that a process that resolves the status of these individuals can be implemented in the near future, but I I’m deeply concerned with the use of civilian courts in the United States to try these individuals for war crimes committed overseas.
Agai n, thank you for contacting me. I look forward to continuing our conversation on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SenatorBlunt ) and Twitter ( www.twitter.com/RoyBlunt ) about the important issues f acing Missouri and the country. I also encourage you to visit my website ( blunt.senate.gov ) to learn more about where I stand on the issues and sign-up for my e-newsletter .
Sincere regards,
Roy Blunt
United States Senator
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