confessions of a nonlinearmind

Detaining terrorists in the US: Bring ‘em on.

The far right and even the not-so far right in this country are making political hay over the potential relocation of Guantanamo Bay detainees to the United States. The wording that they use varies, but the implication is the same - terrorists could be loose, either as escapees or as free men on the own recognizance, in our communities.

For the large part, these politicians have been successful in scaring the often spineless Democrats in the House into voting against the funding necessary to close Guantanamo. It is obvious to any person with an iota of common sense that the United States has no intention of “releasing” any of these suspected terrorists into the United States - a wording that conservatives like to use. It will be more like “releasing” these prisoners from Guantanamo into the watchful custody of a super-max facility.

No one has ever escaped from a super-max prison; a facility designed to house the most ruthless killers in a solitary confinement. But for argument’s sake, let’s just say that one of these suspected terrorists manages to conspire with a fellow inmate, a convicted killer and rapist, to break out of a super-max facility.

For starters, prior to the breakout, our terrorist is going to have to overcome another barrier - a language barrier. This terrorist wasn’t here in the US on a student visa. He was plucked straight out of Afghanistan or Iraq and likely knows no English. But for argument’s sake, let’s just say he lucked out and that he is somehow able to communicate with his fellow escapee in order to formulate a plan.

They break out, are now free in our communities, and go their separate ways. The first thing that each is going to need to do, is gain access to money and transportation. Each is going to have to try to blend in, most immediately amongst a community near the prison. While the killer knows the language and culture, our dark-complexioned terrorist will be on the run in a land where he doesn’t speak the language, knows nobody, and where everyone is on the lookout for him. Both will have the same goal of not getting caught, and I’m confident that on the way toward that goal each is equally capable of chalking up a body count. But to be honest, I think I’d be more comfortable having my family around a terrorist looking to get back to his people then a sadistic killer/rapist.

In the end we can draw up as many potential scenarios as we’d like, but it doesn’t change the fact that no one has ever escaped from a super-max facility.

I don’t know what’s more disgraceful, the Republicans who always seem to stir up fear to achieve political ends or the Democrats who so often seem to bend to those fears and act indecisively on national security matters. I take comfort in knowing that, by all indications, it seems we have a grown up now presiding over the country and over these little children in Congress.