By SIMON SHAYKHET
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (WJBK) – There’s some strong opposition to a proposal to bring about 150 Guantanamo Bay prisoners to a facility in Standish. Monday evening, they let their voices be heard at a town hall meeting in Rochester Hills.
They are considered some of the most dangerous terrorists in the world. Monday at Rochester Hills High School, people got a chance to hear exactly what it could mean if they came to Standish.
“These are the superstars of the terrorist world. These are people who have an international reputation, the ones who engineered 9-11,” said retired Army Lieutenant Gordon Cucullu.
January 1, 2010 is the president’s deadline to close Guantanamo Bay. A correctional facility in Standish has become the location the government says it could send terrorists, but in a town hall style forum, experts are warning people about the risks.
“We make the mistake of thinking that these people want to break out. They don’t really want to break out, nor do their friends on the outside necessarily want to facilitate an escape. What they want to do is try to have some sort of major media moment, which would be a terrorist act of the kind of capturing a school, capturing a hospital, capturing a church full of people,” Cucullu said.
“By bringing them here, the various groups say… they’re eligible… under American civilian penal law, for visitation, for… mass services,” said terrorism expert Dr. Peter Leitner.
A prison guard tells FOX 2 that a staff of 300 could lose their jobs and be replaced by federal agents and guards. Beyond that, there are the high profile names, such as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Ramzi Binalshibh, Abu Faraj al-Libbi, and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri. Three of them helped plan 9-11. The other is the mastermind of the bombing on the U.S.S. Cole.
So far, the government has not finalized moving the detainees to Standish or given a timeline of how soon they come be sent there.
In the audience, we heard varying opinions critical of Gitmo and the proposed move.
“I do think they deserve due process of legislation and laws,” said Adam Childress.
“I think our country’s in the wrong direction, and I think this is going to be very bad for Standish,” said one woman.
Speakers said there is a lot more work to be done to put a stop to the detainees coming to Michigan. They plan to reach out to the communities and also local leaders to make that happen.
I attended the above so-called town hall meeting. What it really was was a “Muslim hate festival.” I surely did not let anyone know I’m Arabic, even though I am not Muslim.
Let me put it in perspective, because none of the news reports even comes close to what really took place. The highlight of the evening came when a member of the audience offered his patriotic solution to the “Muslim killers.” His solution? Put the Muslims killers in front of the troops (to be murdered). This solution received wild applause.
It is one thing for the whack jobs in the audience applauding. Also applauding wildly this insanely racist idea was the Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, State Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop and WJR talk show host Frank Beckman. Beckman also does the U of M football games.
The racists in this group attacked President Obabma, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, the Muslim community in Michigan and of course the “left wing.”
There was even a slide show, not discussed in the news reports. There were pictures of murdered school children in body bags as a prelude as to what “will happen” in Michigan if the prisoners are moved here. The killing, of course, done at the hands of Muslim terrorist.
I actually have about 7 pages of notes. I have asked my state representative’s to call for a criminal investigation as to why a public school building, where Muslim kids attend school, was being used to advocate the murder of Muslims. Also why elected officials allowed approved it.
Contact me.