© 2009 Adam Owenby, All rights reserved.

President Obama took the first step in closing the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba today. As one of his first official acts as President, Obama instituted a 120-day suspension of military tribunals being held at the base. This begs the question: if Gitmo is closed, where then do the 245 accused terrorists and insurgents go?

Let’s be clear, those being held at Guantanamo are not guilty of parking violations, these are serious, terrible people. According to Reuters News, five of those being held have been accused of links to the attacks of September 11th, and many more “are considered too dangerous to release.” Despite this, the Bush administration had tried for months to convince countries whose nationals are still at Guantanamo to take in detainees, but most countries (wisely) felt that the risk of housing these terrorists was too high. So, the US was saddled with the task of housing, feeding, and protecting the detainees on an essentially permanent basis. Now these “too dangerous to release” detainees will be transported and housed in your backyard. Guantanamo Bay is not a prefect solution to this problem. In fact, it is an inglorious one at best. But, it is a solution that is working. The right of habeas corpus has been affirmed for the detainees, and a system of justice was being implemented. There was a policy in place to try these individuals for their crimes, and it was working. There is no reason that the President cannot conduct concurrent investigations into the options at Gitmo while the trials are ongoing. I suggest letting justice take its natural course, and in the meantime keeping the accused safely off the American mainland.