FBI Director Mueller Raises Concerns About Gitmo Detainee Release In US

WASHINGTON — FBI Director Robert Mueller told Congress on Wednesday that bringing Guantanamo Bay detainees to the United States could pose a number of risks, even if they were kept in maximum-security prisons. Responding to FBI concerns, Attorney General Eric Holder said the Obama administration would not put Americans at risk.

Testifying before the House Judiciary Committee, Mueller faced repeated questions about the prospect of transferring to the United States some of the 240 inmates currently held at the naval base in Cuba.

President Barack Obama has ordered the Guantanamo Bay detention center closed by January 2010, but that timetable may be in jeopardy. As Mueller testified, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to block funding for bringing detainees to the U.S., whether freed or imprisoned.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon was preparing to release a long-awaited report detailing the number of Guantanamo detainees who had either returned to the battlefield or were suspected of returning after being released from the prison.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the report, which was completed in late 2008, would mirror data released in January showing that 18 detainees had rejoined the fight. An additional 43 were suspected of returning to battle, the Pentagon said then, although it did not release any evidence or intelligence supporting its data.

The New York Times reported on its Web site Wednesday that an updated, and still-undisclosed Pentagon tally shows 74 detainees have returned to the fight. The newspaper did not break down the number by detainees who were confirmed and suspected of rejoining the battle.

Whitman would not confirm the 74 number Wednesday night, and the updated data was not immediately available.

"Even in our most careful assessments and decisions to transfer or release detainees, we know that some return to the fight," Whitman said.

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At the start of Wednesday's hearing, Mueller was asked what concerns the FBI has about the release of Guantanamo detainees.

"The concerns we have about individuals who may support terrorism being in the United States run from concerns about providing financing, radicalizing others," Mueller said, as well as "the potential for individuals undertaking attacks in the United States."

"All of those are relevant concerns," Mueller said.

The FBI chief said he would not discuss specific individuals. He said there were also potential risks to putting detainees in maximum security prisons.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., whose district includes the World Trade Center site, then prodded Mueller to agree that such individuals could be safely kept in maximum security prisons in the United States.

Mueller balked at Nadler's suggestion, noting that in some instances imprisoned gang leaders have run their operations from inside prisons.

"It depends on the circumstances," Mueller said.

Asked about Mueller's comments, Attorney General Eric Holder said the government won't do anything with detainees "that's going to put the American people at risk."

"The concerns that have been expressed by the director, concerns expressed by other people, will all be taken into account," Holder said, adding that the administration is still working on the closure plan and he still believes they can meet the president's deadline in eight months.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs declined to respond directly to Mueller.

"The president hasn't decided where some of the detainees will be transferred. Those are decisions that the task forces are working on and that the president will lay out and discuss tomorrow," Gibbs told reporters.

Republicans have been criticizing Obama on the issue, and even fellow Democrats say they need to see a plan for closing Guantanamo before they can support the White House.

Republicans urged Mueller to take the FBI's concerns to the White House.

"No good purpose is served by allowing known terrorists, who trained at terrorist training camps, to come to the U.S. and live among us," said Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, the senior Republican on the committee. "Guantanamo Bay was never meant to be an Ellis Island."

Mueller was also asked if he had a solution for what to do with the detainees.

"I don't," Mueller answered. "It's a very difficult issue and people are honestly wrestling with what the best resolution is."

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Associated Press writers Darlene Superville and Lara Jakes contributed to this report.

Comments

[closerthanuthink]

The "return to the fight" excuse is total BS!
1) If the detainee is a terrorist, then you can bet he wouldn't be released - even and especially those who confessed under "duress" (even though I believe - I'm not sure - there's some "second chance" program going on);
2) If the detainee ISN'T a terrorist, then he shouldn't have been detained in the first place; and if while in the care of the state he endured Cheney's "Unpleasant Thing's Program", what could one expect he'd do after being released? What would YOU do? PAYBACK!! Either way, there is no "return to the fight" - "joining" the fight is more like it, and the Pentagon Report should've reflected that fact.
And by the way, I'm with TennGal on this - place them with the Gen Pop and pray (if your compassionate enough) for their souls because it will be hell for them (does anyone doubt THAT?).

[greenberetcpt]

President Obama needs a new FBI director.

[Stan Schurman]

And, of course, FBI directors have a sterling record of.....of.­.well, knowing what gown to wear to the ball.

[LeftHandedBrain]

I don't get it. We have child rapists and mass murderers in our prisons, but we are afraid of a few third world hillbillies? What's wrong with our politicians? I'm afraid to see how low they will go in trying to out patronize each other.

The saddest thing is that so many of the detainees were innocent of anything. Fewer than 5% of them were picked up on the battlefield. Many were turned in for a $5,000 to $10,000 bounty which is a fortune to acquire in Afghanistan or Pakistan.

Guantanamo has turned into a symbol of how wrong this country can be and needs to be closed if for that reason alone.

[1dogs2]

Time for Mueller to go.

[army193]

How many more times will Americans give into terrorists such as Osama tactic to make you afraid...I­f America is unable to hold a few terrorist in maxim security we have given into fear and we lose yet again.

[LiberalDem]

There is no reason that the most dangerous of the detainees can't be held securely in maximum security federal pens. These places can keep prisoners under 23 hour lockdown,solitary.

The FBI and the administration are also contining to skirt the question of how many of the Gitmo detainees are truly dangerous. They want to keep that prison open.

Thanks, Obama, for breaking yet another campaign pledge.

[Ian Clark]

No, Obama hasn't changed his mind - yet. So far it's just the dems in Congress who have chickened out. Bunch of hypocrites.

[1dogs2]

Where do you get your information? Rush? The WH confirmed yet again today that Gitmo will be closed. Congress doesn't get to decide this matter. Are you even aware that the President is giving a major address tomorrow to set out in greater detail how he intends to accomplish the closure? Do you intend to listen? Or are you just going to keep whining about how Obama has broken promises that he has not in fact broken. You certainly don't sound like a liberal democrat to me.

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

This is ridiculous. Our prison system can easily handle the hardest cases. Other less hard cases deserve justice that is no longer delayed and denied.

[Rolf618]

Agreed. Seems like the same sort of mass hypnosis that made everyone think that we needed to invade Iraq

[AliHajiSheik]

Stop peeing your pants and wipe the sand out of your ginies. They are human beings. They do not have super powers. They cannot bend you to their will with their minds. They do not have adamantium claws capable of tearing the walls off a supermax prison.

When did we become a nation of wusses?

[mcantwell]

This is what happens when the military PAYS people for turning in so called militants. They wanted to make a quick buck so they turned in anybody off the street.

[wmholt]

Why do the headlines keep talking about "releasing" the prisoners to the U.S., when they are really talking about being transferred to another prison.

Even Harry Reid used that language yesterday, and when the reporter pointed out to Harry Reid that they were not being "released", Harry Reid had no further comment.

[EGRPioneer]

Bottom line: Americans have always known that you all have always been feckless (for those of you in Rio Linda, that means weak!) on crime and defense. SInce democrat domination and Obama arrived, it's "deja vu all over again."

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

Deja poop.

[smartenoughforthisforum]

For consistency then, we need to rendition Moussaoui, Abdel-Rahman, etc. There they are, in US max security units, on US soil, plotting our demise. Could get out any day now, and then what do we do? Raise the alert to purple?

[wadenelson1]

They've released HOW MANY HUNDREDS of prisoners from Gitmo found guilty of absolutely NOTHING?

You torture a guy, then release him, it's payback time.

It certainly would be if I got locked up in some Islamic jail.

[Mavsreader]

I feel like this article misses the basics like--How many prisoners are we talking about? 5? 10? 50?
My question is presuming the war ended, there was no plan for releasing these detainees? Tell us the original plan, Congress. I know, I know everyone would like to criticize Obama's plan. Never thought about it? Why not?