News Releases

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), member of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, issued the following statement in reaction to the United States Director of National Intelligence’s recent report revealing that two more released Guantanamo Bay (GITMO) detainees have returned to engaging in terrorist activities:

“Since the president announced his plan to close GITMO, we’ve seen a rush to transfer detainee terrorists out of the facility. This administration’s willingness to endanger American lives in order to fulfill a campaign promise is unacceptable, especially given the clear evidence showing that former detainees continue to return to the battlefield. I will continue fighting to keep the remaining detainees at the facility where they cannot engage in terrorist acts against the United States or our allies.”

The confirmed and suspected reengagement rate of GITMO detainees returning to the fight is more than 30 percent and includes those released since 2002.

Background
Sen. Moran has long advocated against relocating Guantanamo Bay detainees. He works to uphold current law by sponsoring multiple amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act and sponsors the following legislation:

  • The Protections Against Terrorist Transfer Act of 2016 (S. 2780) to strengthen the certification requirements relating to the transfer or release of detainees at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba;
  • The Detainee Transfer Transparency Act (S. 2788) to make available to the public the intended transfer or release of detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, at least 21 days in advance;
  • The Detaining Terrorists to Protect America Act (S. 165) to prohibit the transfer to the United States of detainees designated medium- or high-risk for two years and ban transfers to Yemen, where dozens of the remaining Guantanamo detainees are from; and
  • S. 2559 to prevent President Obama from transferring GITMO back to Cuba without congressional approval.

Additionally, Sen. Moran introduced a Senate Resolution to call for the detention of captured Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters at GITMO.

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