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John Brennan says one of five Gitmo detainees return to the fight, which “isn’t that bad.”
National Review ^ | 02/16/2010 | Daniel Foster

Posted on 02/15/2010 8:01:37 AM PST by SeekAndFind

Obama counter-terror chief John Brennan is drawing criticism for comments he made Saturday about the recidivism rate of detainees released from Guantanamo Bay.

During a Q&A following remarks Brennan delivered at the Islamic Center of New York University, Brennan defended the administration's estimate that one in five foreign nationals released from the prison at Guantanamo Bay since its opening return to terrorist activities.

"People sometimes use that figure, 20 percent, say 'Oh my goodness, one out of five detainees returned to some type of extremist activity,'" Brennan said. "You know, the American penal system, the recidivism rate is up to something about 50 percent or so, as far as return to crime. Twenty percent isn't that bad."

Brennan added, "Many of these detainees have returned, have engaged not just extremism, but terrorist attacks. It is something that we have to look at very carefully."

The full video of the Q&A session is here:

CLICK ABOVE LINK TO WATCH

The comments have caused two prominent Congressional Republicans to call for Brennan's ouster.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) told Fox News Sunday that Brennan's casualness about the 20 percent rate was "mindboggling and unnerving," and said Brennan had "lost my confidence."

"I don't see how most Americans can feel safe when the head of counterterrorism tries to tell us you can get all the information you need within 50 minutes of an interview of a guy right off the airplane who tried to blow it up, and tries to tell us that the process did finally work, and say that a 20 percent recidivism rate's OK in the war on terror."

Rep. Peter King (R., N.Y.) the ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, said he "strongly" believes Brennan "ought to resign immediately or be fired because of his incompetence and inability to do his job."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: brennan4alqaeda; brennan4bombers; brennan4terrorists; brennanantiusa; dnc4alqaeda; dnc4bombers; dnc4terrorists; dncantiusa; gitmo; johnbrennan; obama4alqaeda; obama4bombers; obama4terrorists; obamaantiusa; terrorism
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To: GladesGuru

On radio today...Solution to terrorist problem....

Late, late, late, really late term abortion for all terrorists...


21 posted on 02/15/2010 9:43:58 AM PST by Boonie
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To: SeekAndFind
John Brennan says one of five Gitmo detainees return to the fight, which “isn’t that bad.”

One out of five BEING CAUGHT again in the fight is pretty bad. It's even worse for those who are killed by them before they are recaptured in our catch-and-release program, or hopefully killed by our soldiers.

22 posted on 02/15/2010 10:31:33 AM PST by Pollster1 (Natural born citizen of the USA, with the birth certificate to prove it)
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To: originalbuckeye
"Yep. I always hope that only those who are harmed will be those who are somehow connected to the original decision. "

There are more than 53 million serfs directly connected to the original decision So, there will be ample opportunities to say "I told you so!"

23 posted on 02/15/2010 10:34:14 AM PST by SuperLuminal (Where is another agitator for republicanism like Sam Adams when we need him?)
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To: SeekAndFind

"I want the people to know that they still have 2 out of 3 branches of the government working for them, and that ain't bad."

24 posted on 02/15/2010 10:34:27 AM PST by dfwgator
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To: IrishCatholic
What a rat's nest NYU is.

NYU has had a spate of student suicides the past 10 years ( one per year ). The latest one being a professor who killed himself on January this year ( 10 suicides since 2001 ).

See here .

Something in the atmosphere is causing these people to despair of life.
25 posted on 02/15/2010 4:53:55 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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