Hardin, Montana Requests Guantanamo Detainees

Al Jazeera English :

Barack Obama has ordered the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to be closed by early next year, and as the fate of the remaining 240 prisoners is decided some could be moved to the US for trial or continued detention.

Al Jazeera's Rob Reynolds travelled to the town of Hardin in the US state of Montana to find out why it has offered to take in some of the detainees.

Read the whole story: Al Jazeera English

Comments

[BossBabe]

I heard about this offer on NPR weeks ago and have been wondering why the story hasn't been more on the forefront. Especially with Cheney, Reid, and every other politician claiming that no community would be willing to have the detainees in their prisons. Bravo, Hardin, Montana.

[ThinkCreeps]

Looks a cruel and unusual place to me.

[OKSunny]

It is so cowardly of American states to "be afraid" of taking in these people....­come on, we have some pretty scary guys that are home grown.

If every state would take 4 (yes 4, that's all) of the 240 they would all have a place to go. What are we all so scared of, it's so dumb.

I would be proud to take them in; I mean they are just people, not witches with magical powers. They are only strong and scary in large numbers. Get over yourself America

[loveobamas]

As the song goes:

"Is we is
Or is we isn't
Gonna get ourselves a prison?"

[Bystander]

We can only hope that the ACLU will be successful in gaining the release of all these poor, tortured GITMO victims. I'm sure that sanctuary cities, like SF, will welcome them with open arms when they are released.

[MicahBrwn]

I think the current tenuousness of our economy is going to make towns and states think long and hard about how to make their economic outlook better than it currently is. The bill that Congress is currently discussing (as referenced in this article) is taking NIMBY to an extreme. If towns like Hardin, Montana are willing to take them, I say let them. It's not like Hardin has a population comparable to, say, Billings, after all.

I'd even go as far as to say that the least-populous states (or less-populated regions of just about any of the states) are perfect for housing inmates currently incarcerated at Gitmo. Not many people, so it'd be hard for any escapees to blend in with the crowd. So the feds should look at Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, eastern Oregon, and places like that. Alaska's a consideration, but the last thing we need is for the world to brand a federal prison in the Alaska Interior as "America's Siberia." Trekkers might even call it "a true-life Rura Penthe". And we can't afford to have any more PR missteps as the whole Gitmo mess has proven to be from the very beginning, IMHO.

[VOTER]

Will the Rethugs try to talk the citizens of Hardin out of their campaign?

HA!

[johnie2xs]

Setting aside, for a moment, the argument regarding the efficacy of the reasons for these peoples incarceration, both pro and con, and would like to put forth a question.

When did it become a "black eye" for a person or, in this case, a community to step up to the plate in an effort to back up it's countries policy? Putting aside the financial consideration, these people are making a statement that says "We are not afraid". This is a far cry from the majority of communities who are so clouded by their fears, they irrationally give in to them. How are these "terrorists" (if in fact they ARE all terrorists) any worse than those denizens of our prisons who walked amongst us, spoke our language, in some cases committed heinous crimes, and have been properly processed through our judicial system? We cannot even say for sure how efficacious the charges against these people actually are. Is it in fact our practice to jail people with no due process?
At least, in these times, it may in fact be the case, but does that mean it should persist? I think not, and hope not. These brave people may be among the few, in this country, who are willing to stand up for that fact.

I commend the people of Montana for making this bold offer, and wish them success.

[MikeRdg]

"It is a long way from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But if people here get their way, up to 100 detainees now held in Guantanamo will soon be living in a brand new prison on the edge of town" - quote from article

I read the article, and found it interesting a new, never used prison, which just so happens to be sitting empty is ready and willing to take on Guantanamo Not only is the prison new, and remember never used, it is in a town which is suffering with closed up store fronts.

I read an article several weeks ago about Montana having WWII POWs, which worked the farms under the Big Sky. Was the article a lead in?

Why was the prison built? What was it built for if it is empty?

I hope not for a movie set.

[alenaspoppa]

Frankly, I can't think of a more daunting place for the detainees to be sent, and I mean that in the most respectful way...if they somehow escaped, they'd be surrounded by wilderness and a lot of people who own guns...

[MikeRdg]

see there is something about gun owner ship. Bet there is a lower crime rate too.

[alenaspoppa]

In Montana, I have no problem with gun ownership. In inner city Chicago, I do. We don't have a wild animal problem...

I don't think that gun ownership in cities curbs crime, it only increases the number of dead. I don't believe a gang-banger is going to hesitate to shoot someone just because he thinks they'll shoot back. From what I'm seeing in the newspaper every day, the majority of killings in Chicago are gang-related.

[gayinmt]

You've never been to Hardin. It's not in the middle of the wilderness. It's in eastern Montana, which is mostly desert. Western MT is mountainous.

[alenaspoppa]

No, I haven't been to Hardin. My family is in Libby. I didn't realize that Montana had desert, although that sounds like a pretty harsh setting for a prison as well.

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

As long as the Federal government runs this prison, it is a reasonable idea.

[Hank10303]

Smart move. We already have terrorist here; those in Gitmo won't affect anything. This town would get millions in military funds, employment of civilians and industry will come. Very smart move.

[PoliPassionate]

Solving a problem instead of running away from it in fear. Bravo Hardin Montana!

[ANewAmerica]

We already hold a dozen or more terrorist in our prisons, a few more isn't going to make us any unsafe. The media doesn't report this and I don't know why.

[Marie62866]

Let them go! This will bring jobs to Hardin!