Sacramento, Calif. – Move America Forward has forwarded a plan to President Barack Obama and Members of Congress that would save taxpayers money and keep Americans safer – eliminate from Obama’s Budget proposal the purchase of an Illinois prison to house terrorists and the idea of trying terrorists in the United States.
“Trim the budget and save some of the taxpayers’ money by holding the terror trials at Guantanamo Bay. It costs a lot less than trying them in the U.S. and will contribute to keeping Americans safer,” said Danny Gonzalez, Director of Communications for the pro-military group. “The President could save over $311 million dollars by holding the terrorist trials of Khalid Sheikh Muhammed and others at Guantanamo and continuing to house the already identified untransferrable detainees.”
President Obama’s budget includes a shocking $172 million to buy a state prison in Thomson, Illinois and another $66 million to staff it and upgrade the security to supermax level. The president is also asking for another $73 million to conduct the Khalid Sheikh Mohamed and other 9/11 conspirator trials.
“Officials in New York predicted the trial there could cost up to $1 billion in security costs alone. This is a ridiculous burden on American taxpayers when there is a better alternative in trying these terrorists in military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay. Save the taxpayers’ money,” said Gonzalez.
Move America Forward is the largest grassroots non-profit organization in the country. Our mission is to support our troops and their operations on the global war on terror. In 2008 Move America Forward led a delegation to visit Guantanamo Bay and found no evidence of any torture or mistreatment to the detainees there. Since returning Move America Forward has argued that Guantanamo Bay is the ideal facility to house America’s most dangerous detainees, and it should continue to stay open and operational.
