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Inside the World of Terror Convicts —Who Aren't at Guantanamo

Many terrorists serving time at US federal prisons

By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff

Posted Dec 11, 2011 4:46 PM CST

(Newser) – Scores of convicted terrorists are serving time in US prisons that are far from the public eye—and public outcry—of Guantanamo Bay, the New York Times reports. Aggressive prosecutors nailed most of them after 9/11, often with a preemptive strategy that relied on informants to troll for terrorists. Officials found that holding them at US federal prisons was far cheaper than imprisonment at Gitmo. But "there’s a huge national debate about how dangerous these people are,” says a terrorism expert of the 362 convicts currently serving time. "Somebody ought to be studying this.”

The Bureau of Prisons won't allow a study, but the Times corresponded with convicts at prisons like the federal Supermax near Denver. Some say they bond with Muslim inmates, but complain that guards disrespect them and restrict their right of religious observance—which may further radicalize them. One former inmate says he enjoyed a "family atmosphere" with fellow Muslims who "were not lunatics. They wanted to be back with their families." For now, right or wrong, they are serving sentences averaging 15 years—which authorities say has helped prevent a replay of 9/11.

Guards walk along the fence at the super-maximum-security federal prison in Florence, Colorado.
Guards walk along the fence at the super-maximum-security federal prison in Florence, Colorado.   (Getty Images)
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COMMENTS
Showing 2 of 7 comments
sheepletheyeducatedu
Dec 11, 2011 10:22 PM CST
RON PAUL 2012 RON PAUL 2012 RON PAUL 2012 RON PAUL 2012 RON PAUL 2012 RON PAUL 2012How can anyone on earth in reality vote for obummer after seeing what is happening in this country and the blatent disregard for doing things in the best interest of this country and its people.Anyone supporting obummer and this administration must be living in a hole in the ground ,blind,stupid and baffled by the bull and tell you what you want to here propaganda just to con you fools into re-electing them so they can kick you in the can and take advantage of you some more while they make you feel like your the smart one ,glutons for punishment.Cant we have a inteligence test before voting so we can stop them from using idiots that believe anything to vote for them and keep them in office/controll,dumb a$$e$ should not be allowed to vote and make the rest of us suffer for their ignorance.WE CANT AFFORD TO MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE TWICEMWAKE UP! RON PAUL 2012 RON PAUL 2012 RON PAUL 2012 RON PAUL 2012 RON PAUL 2012 RON PAUL 2012How can anyone on earth in reality vote for obummer after seeing what is happening in this country and the blatent disregard for doing things in the best interest of this country and its people.Anyone supporting obummer and this administratio must be living in a hole in the ground ,blind,stupid and baffled by the bull and tell you what you want to here propaganda just to con you fools into reelectiong them so they can kick you in the can and take advantage of you some more while they make you feel like your the smart one ,glutons for punishment.Cant we have a inteligence test before voting so we can stop them from using idiots that believe anything to vote for them and keep them in office/controll,dumb a$$e$ should not be allowed to vote and make the rest of us suffer for their ignorance.WE CANT AFFORD TO MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE TWICEMWAKE UP! Save edit
JackNelsonSteward
Dec 11, 2011 6:35 PM CST
Nearly four hundred, convicted in civilian courts, on terrorism charges, currently serving their sentences. No military tribunals treating them like soldiers, just our law enforcement and our prosecutors and our courts, investigating them, apprehending them, charging them, trying them, convicting them and putting them in prison to serve their sentences like what they are ... CRIMINALS. There is no elevation in status for these inmates.  There was no special treatment or special courts. They were tried as criminals and they are imprisoned as criminals. ... not soldiers.

 
prison • Guantanamo Bay • 9/11 attacks • terrorists

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