Posted on 12/06/2009 5:23:23 AM PST by tellw
CHICAGO - Despite opposition from congressional Republicans, the Obama administration is signaling that a state prison in rural Thomson, Ill., will probably become the new home for scores of terrorism suspects now housed at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Officials from the White House, Defense Department and U.S. Bureau of Prisons spent two hours last week briefing more than a dozen members of the Illinois delegation in the office of Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill. To reassure skeptical Republicans, they emphasized security.
Although the officials left open the possibility that another site could be chosen, participants emerged from the session convinced the U.S. government will buy the largely unused $145 million Thomson Correctional Center, which was built in 2008.
If all goes as planned, administration sources involved in closing the Guantanamo Bay prison anticipate a handover of the Thomson facility by late winter. It would then take several months to prepare the prison to a level "beyond supermax" and put the staff in place, according to federal estimates.
In Thomson, a town near the Mississippi River, popular support is strong for a federal purchase of the prison. Unemployment in the area is 10.5 percent, and the White House suggests that as many as 3,000 jobs could be created -- some going to local hires, others to people who would move to the area.
"Everyone around here thinks it's a done deal, but I'm waiting to see it in writing." said Jerry "Duke" Hebeler, the Thomson Village board president, who proposed the idea to Democratic Gov. Patrick Quinn in October.
"It's an unnecessary risk, both to our legal system and our security," said Rep. Mark Steven Kirk, R-Ill., who attended the briefing and fired questions.
Kirk, a candidate for Barack Obama's former Senate seat, is leading the opposition to the prison move.
Take them to Zero’s old neighborhood, and drop them off at Calypso Louie’s compound. I’m sure that they can find work with the Nation of Islam.
“There are no beatings, no torture, nothing like that, but it’s definitely NOT a good place to be.”
What is the likelihood of guards being hired who are sympathetic to the prisoners and having enough access to cause problems?
From what I’’ve been told, one can pretty much get whatever one wants in prison.
Will be fun watching if any guards get caught providing porn, drugs, or maybe a B.L.T.
Or if any guards help any escape.
Maybe a fellow moosie sympathizer. Since the hires will be politically correct ya have to allow mosies to be guards too now don’t ya?
Heck, sympathizers are probably licking the tips of their pens now in anticipation of filling out an application for one of those new jobs.
Illinois’s reward for being Obama’s home state. Enjoy!
Right. And this scenario can be played out all over the country - where there aren’t enough terrorists, just encourage crime, then deal with the criminals. That way, many jobs are created for lawyers and prison workers. I’m not suggesting these aren’t important jobs, but creating a crime wave just doesn’t seem like the best way to get Americans employed.
Like so many small towns who have withered on the vine in the last 20 years, they'll do cartwheels while signing their own death warrants if it means a buck or two coming to the area. There isn't much in Clinton or Savanna anymore, and the Quad Cities isn't exactly booming, so when Dick Durbin and The One offers the serfs a poisoned crust of leftover bread, most of them will wolf it down.
This facility is close enough to me to make it personal, and I don't like it one bit, but nobody in a position of responsibility is going to stop it. Unfortunately, the pols have crapped on this part of America for so long that the government teat looks pretty good to the uninformed, and the shysters can now shove virtually anything up the Thomson area's rectum and get high praise in the bargain.
Mr. niteowl77
And why is there a “largely unused” correctional facility in the first place? Doesn’t Illinois generate enough crime right now?
The problem we have is similar to NY and CA, in that the sheer numbers of Cook Co typically overwhelm the rest of us.
Think of Hitler's (Gestapo) when you think of Obama's unions. The community organizer is paying off his base once again...
Those unarmed crowded public schools and big shopping malls with fat rent-a-cops make terrific targets to take hundreds (thousands?) of innocents hostage and commit mass murder to get these prisoners freed.
Illinois better hire the Archangel Group, fast, to get some needed hostage training and triple their available SWAT police forces.
Think: the Moscow Theater and Beslan Massacres...
Back when my putz Carl Levin couldn't shut up about Gitmo i said something cynical, they were just pissed they couldn't control the jobs because they can't control a military facility, boy was I on the money, look at the pork here....
Win-Win for the ACLU attornies that will defend them, Obama supporters that get their payola.
Will these folks need to be flown to NY for trial?
Oh my a local airport needs to be upgraded to handle them and fly them, new smooth runways. Hmmm did that Contractor give to Durbin?
Not to mention the guards union but who will feed them? Who gets that contract? Isn't the SEIU big into food Unions?
I thought the terrorists came from Illinois.
In that part of Illinois, not much, although I would point out that due to political correctness, it could happen. To paraphrase PJ O’Rourke, if something defies all the laws of logic, economics and common sense, there’s probably politics involved.
Reading this morning that Boston is doing air flow tests on the T with a view towards dealing with a terror attack.
This is so breathtakingly irresponsible it borders on insanity.
I fear that security will play a back role and it is possible some of these highly dangerous terrorists could escape into the interior of the country. This whole thing is a dangerous scam.
Wonder how long it will take before Obama gives terrorism suspects an ok for weekend passes?.
The Byron nuke plant isn’t all that far from Thomson as well.
If you want to call 150 miles "a short distance", then I guess it is.
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