Conservatives to GOP: Stop Gitmo 'Scaremongering'

Bob Barr, others write letter supporting Obama's plan
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 17, 2009 4:02 PM CST
Conservatives to GOP: Stop Gitmo 'Scaremongering'
American Conservative Union Chairman David Keene is seen in his office in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008.   (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke)

Three leading conservatives sought to quash what they called “scaremongering” by Republican politicians over plans to relocate Guantanamo Bay detainees to a prison in Illinois. In a joint statement, Bob Barr, David Keene, and Grover Norquist said the prison was secure enough to hold the detainees. “The federal prison system has proven itself fully capable of safely holding literally hundreds of convicted terrorists with no threat or danger to the surrounding community. The scaremongering about these issues should stop.”

The trio also writes that the “civilian federal courts are the proper forum for terrorism cases,” in a vote of confidence for the administration’s plan. "We are confident that the government can preserve national security without resorting to sweeping and radical departures from an American constitutional tradition that has served us effectively for over two centuries."
(More Grover Norquist stories.)

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