Hot on the heels of Jim “Don’t Call Me Brian” Moran inflicting potentially fatal damage to his political career, the News & Messenger newspaper that serves Prince William Co. may have followed his lead over a cliff.
First, Moran says having al Qaeda and Taliban terrorist in Alexandria wouldn’t be such a bad thing and is part of residents’ civic duty. Now, the N&M weighs in asking, “Why not Quantico?”
Back to the subject of keeping terrorists prisoner on the mainland, is the fear that they might escape and wreak havoc on innocent civilians? But how is that threat any greater than the threat of escape from any number of “trained” criminals housed in the plethora of prisons all around our country?
Escape is a risk, but no greater because one is a terrorist and the other is a criminal. In fact, the carnage caused by criminals in the United States is, no doubt, greater than from terrorists.
When was the last time that a common criminal, even a murderer, managed to kill 3,000 people and cause billions of dollars of damage in one fell swoop? Do these people not remember what happened 8 years ago?
I’ll tell you why not Quantico.
Quantico is an open base meaning that anyone can go on it. You just have to pass through a checkpoint. The Town of Quantico is located within the boundaries of the base. The town is home to a train station where AMTRAK and the VRE commuter rail service stops. Not only do you have to worry about the risk of escape (unlike the waters of the Gulf of Mexico surrounding Gitmo in Cuba, the Potomac is not filled with sharks and Gitmo does not offer regularly scheduled train service), but we should be concerned about people trying to get in. Terrorists could either undertake a rescue mission as U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf has warned or simply opt to inflict casualties there with it being a high profile target in order to garner attention. Harkening back to 2001, we’re dealing with the same group that attacked the Pentagon. Does anyone really think that Quantico would be more of a deterent?
The News & Messenger, its parent company already reeling financially, may have just published its own obituary coming out with a nonsensical position such as this.
UPDATE: Apparently the N&M is echoing the MoveOn.org talking points with regard to terrorists, claiming that they are not as dangerous as domestic criminals. Witness what Turn PW Blue wrote on another blog:
If we can handle the inmates we lock up for domestic crimes (many who put the Gitmo detainees to shame for their utter disregard for humanity), why do we have such a problem with the ones from Gitmo?
Filed under: Media, Morons, Prince William County Politics, Stafford County Politics, World War III
[...] Riley piles on: Quantico is an open base meaning that anyone can go on it. You just have to pass through [...]
Looks like the News & Messenger has provided a retort:
http://www.insidenova.com/isn/editorial_blog/comments/news_of_our_death_is_premature/35494/
The interesting thing is more people will have read ours than will have read theirs.
The response to Turn PW Blue is quite simple. Quantico is a military base. It is not a high security correctional facility. While Quantico may have some facilities to hold persons suspected of crimes, these would be for short term durations, i.e. a drunk tank for DUI, etc. The base possesses neither the design nor the facilities for the long term incarceration of persons suspected of violent terrorists activities.
While President Obama’s campaign pledge to shut down Gitmo was a sugary feel-good promise, it clearly demonstrates a lack of long term vision. Furthermore it demonstrates a policy naviete by failing to answer that most basic of questions while forming policy: what next?
The Post is covering the Quantanimo debate as well:
“Issue of Guantanamo Detainees Simmers in Va.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/14/AR2009051404098.html
What’s wrong with using Alcatraz again? They only had one person escape. Much better odds than Quantico where the guards saluted my wife and let us drive right through the “checkpoint” without stopping us because she was wearing a black coat and green blouse… She must have “looked” military, which was more than enough to convince the guards that we could pass… Seriously, this happened!!