Category: Leavenworth

State Sen. Steve Fitzgerald and Gov. Sam Brownback are planning to attend a town hall meeting Sept. 3 in Leavenworth, Kan., to discuss the issue of transferring Guantanamo Bay inmates to Ft. Leavenworth, Kan.

The town hall meeting will be at 4 p.m. Sept. 3 at the Riverfront Community Center, 123 S. Esplanade St., Leavenworth. It is open to the public.

Sen. Fitzgerald and Gov. Brownback are opposed to a proposal that would transfer detainees, many of whom are terrorists, currently held at a military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Among the detainees is a man who was called the mastermind of Sept. 11, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

The governor and other Kansas elected leaders have sent letters to defense officials opposing the transfer of the prisoners to Kansas.

Elected Kansas officials today are fighting against Guantanamo Bay detainees being sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., released a statement on the issue opposing the transfers, as did U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-2nd Dist.

Reports surfaced of the possible transfer recently, according to Sen. Roberts’ office.

“We have received reports of President Obama’s attempt to shut down Guantanamo Bay, which once again reflects another egregious overstep by this administration,” Sen. Roberts said in a statement. “Congress has consistently stopped Obama by law from moving a single detainee to the U.S. I shut down this administration’s nominee for Secretary of the Army in 2009 to prevent moving any detainees to Kansas and will do it again if necessary. Not on my watch will any terrorist be placed in Kansas.”

“An overwhelming majority of Kansans and Americans oppose importing terrorists from Guantanamo Bay in to the United States and Congress has acted in bipartisan fashion over and over again to prohibit Guantanamo Bay detainees from entering the United States,” Rep. Jenkins said in a statement. “It is irresponsible, reckless, and to overstep the law to do so is a dangerous precedent. The intent of this site survey is to move detainees which would be a violation of the FY2015 NDAA and current appropriations law, which both prohibit funding to build, modify and/or transfer the Guantanamo Bay detainees.

“This afternoon I sent a letter to Secretary Ashe Carter demanding that the Administration abandon this reckless proposal. I will continue my work to keep these terrorists from being transferred to Fort Leavenworth or anywhere in the United States,” Rep. Jenkins stated.