Kirk, 42 colleagues, oppose transfer of Somali-based terrorist to New York

Urges Holder to Reconsider Policy of Granting Constitutional Rights to Accused Terrorist      

 

Washington, DC – Following news that the Obama Administration has moved Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame, a Somali-based terrorist, to New York City, United States Senator Mark Kirk today authored a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to oppose both the transfer and the granting of U.S. Constitutional rights to an enemy combatant who was captured on foreign soil. While the capture of Warsame is a success and the intel collected is valuable, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is the appropriate place for him.  The letter, signed by 43 Senators, also requests details of the cost to American taxpayers and the increased threat to the area citizens.    

The full text of the letter is below. A pdf of the signed letter can be seen here. 

 

July 6, 2011

 

The Honorable Eric H. Holder, Jr.

Attorney General

U.S. Department of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20530

 

Dear Attorney General Holder:

We write to express our opposition to your decision to transfer a Somali-based terrorist, Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame, to the United States for civilian trial.

As an unlawful combatant, Mr. Warsame wore no uniform and fought for no country. He is not an American citizen and was not captured on American soil. Mr. Warsame should have been detained outside the United States and, if necessary, tried by military commission.

Your decision to grant this terrorist full U.S. Constitutional rights and to try him in a civilian court on American soil reverses U.S. policy and legal precedent, and adds unnecessary costs and risks to local governments and populations.

Under your decision, Mr. Warsame will be prosecuted as a civilian with considerable expense and time diverted from U.S. criminal cases. His prosecution will trigger more Jihadist attention to the city and court where the prosecution will take place.

We urge you to reconsider your policy of bringing terrorists to the U.S. homeland for prosecution. We also ask that you provide the Congress with an estimate of the added expense to be incurred by federal and local police to protect the court involved.

Sincerely, 

Senators Mark Kirk, Orrin Hatch, Roger Wicker, Mike Lee, Richard Lugar, Lindsey Graham, Olympia Snowe, Tom Coburn, Susan Collins, Mike Johanns, John Boozman, Dan Coats, James Risch, Chuck Grassley, John Thune, Johnny Isakson, David Vitter, Mike Enzi,  Saxby Chambliss, John Hoeven, Kelly Ayotte, Ron Johnson, Scott Brown, John Cornyn, Roy Blunt, Mike Crapo, Pat Roberts, Richard Shelby, Thad Cochran, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Mitch McConnell, Jon Kyl, John McCain, Dean Heller, James Inhofe, John Barasso, Marco Rubio, Lisa Murkowski, Jeff Sessions, Jerry Moran, Richard Burr, Rob Portman, JoeLieberman