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WASHINGTON
–
This
week,
U.S.
Senator
Tim
Scott
(R-SC)
joined
a
team
of
Republican
colleagues
to
send
a
letter
to
the
President
encouraging
him
to
assess
the
future
operations
and
detention
of
detainees
held
at
the
Joint
Task
Force
Guantanamo
Bay
detention
facility
in
Guantanamo
Bay,
Cuba
(GITMO)
in
a
letter
spearheaded
by
U.S.
Senator
Jerry
Moran
(R-KS)
and
also
signed
by
Roy
Blunt
(R-Mo.),
Tom
Cotton
(R-Ark.),
Jim
Inhofe
(R-Okla.),
John
Boozman
(R-Ark.),
Thom
Tillis
(R-N.C.),
Cory
Gardner
(R-Colo.),
Pat
Roberts
(R-Kan.),
Steve
Daines
(R-Mont.)
and
Orrin
Hatch
(R-Utah).
“Congress
has
continuously
opposed
and
prohibited
the
closure
of
GTMO
as
well
as
the
transfer
of
GTMO
detainees
to
U.S.
soil
since
2010
in
response
to
the
previous
administration’s
attempt
to
fulfill
a
campaign
promise,”
the
senators
wrote.
“Despite
the
growing
number
of
threats
to
our
nation
from
terrorists
around
the
globe,
the
Obama
administration
demonstrated
a
serious
disregard
for
the
safety
of
the
American
people
and
the
will
of
Congress
by
dramatically
reducing
the
number
of
detainees
housed
at
GTMO
to
justify
those
remaining
to
be
transferred
to
the
U.S.”
In
the
letter,
Sen.
Scott
and
his
colleagues
shared
with
President
Trump
a
number
of
recommendations
for
the
future
of
the
detention
facility
as
the
president
and
Congress
work
to
ensure
the
safety
of
the
American
people.
They
requested
an
immediate
hold
on
transferring
detainees
approved
for
release
by
the
Periodic
Review
Board
(PRB)
and
the
suspension
of
the
PRB
itself
–
which
was
established
in
2011
to
assess
and
determine
the
transfer
of
detainees
–
along
with
a
full
and
judicious
review
of
the
PRB’s
role
and
responsibilities.
They
also
requested
the
consideration
of
military
value
analysis
and
recommendations
of
the
nation’s
most
senior
military
leaders.
Click
here
to
read
the
full
letter.
Background
- According
to
the
Director
of
National
Intelligence,
the
recidivism
rate
of
those
who
have
reengaged
in
terrorist
or
insurgent
activities
is
more
than
30
percent.
- In
February
2016,
Sen.
Moran
led
a
congressional
visit
to
GITMO
with
Sens.
Gardner
and
Daines
and
spoke
with
military
leaders
including
Joint
Task
Force
Guantanamo
(JTF-GITMO)
Commander
Rear
Admiral
Peter
J.
Clarke.
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