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."
From a criminal recidivism point of view he is right it isn’t that bad. From a POW point of view it is obscene and pointless to release these men only to have them continue to strike against us. Is the war on terror a proper war or is it a law enforcement idea like the war on drugs?
Unless that “one” is the one who kills your son or daughter, spouse or parent.
Yep. I always hope that only those who are harmed will be those who are somehow connected to the original decision.
Never happens!!!
Mindless morons . . . gonna’ get us all killed . . . what a bunch of out-of-touch screwballs! Only 20% . . . Hope they use that as a “re-election” bumper sticker slogan.
Lord A’Mighty, Colonel? What the, Ah Say, what the hell’s going on here?
Captured enemy combatants ought never be repatriated during wartime, nor is there any international requirement that they be. Do they deserve to be treated humanely? Yes. Do we owe them the same legal treatment one would accord US citizens accused of crimes, no matter how heinous? No.
To even suggest otherwise is, in the present context, to deny the fundamental nature of Al Qaeda, of the Taliban and of the other groups fighting a Radical Islamic war against the West, of which the United States is their primary target.
That any of the foregoing is not immediately self-evident to our government leaders is more than troubling.
Easy for Brennan and 0bamao’s regime to say - none of them have faced al queda in combat.
Let me know if you'd like to be on or off the ping list
Resign or be fired.
So Hussein can replace you with someone worse but who knows how to keep his mouth shut.
This is top down traitorous incompetence.
The America hating law student, with the security clearance, claimed he and his professor thought the statement by the former administration of fifty released Gitmo detainees returning to extremism was greatly inflated. The actual number being less than half a dozen. He said he was the head of the Guantanamo Litigation Project. He and his professor were pushing the close of Gitmo.
Now, at the statement of 580 total releases between both administratons by Brennan and a recidivism rate of 20% with about 10% actually involved in terrorism with the other 10% involved with extremism, that gives about 58 actual terrorists and 116 or so pushing terrorism in total.
Do you think the professor and the America hating student will now disband their project, admit the Bush Administration was correct, and apologize for being wrong? Or do you think they will simply bury this and move on with their anti-American activities?
Yea, it was a rhetorical question. I didn't make it to Brennan's answer when the next question came from a CAIR rep who wanted to know what the government was going to do to make Muslims feel good about living in the US since 9/11, since they weren't happy anymore. Couldn't even stand to hear Brennan's answer on that. It was enough.
What a rat's nest NYU is.
I don’t see this as any different from the results the libs are happy with from their other programs.
Agree, with sadness.
As they were flying into their the destination ("YEE-HAA,just like effin' Viet Nam!") the white Johnson asked the black Johnson, what would be the estimated civilian casuality cost. The white Johnson said, "20%", which prompted the black Johnson to reply,after a somewhat pregnant pause, "I can live with that!"
Oh no...No, it isn't...Of course not...Unless that 20% goes on to KILL INNOCENT CIVILIANS AND/OR AMERICAN TROOPS, you twit.
Brennan not fired yet?!
I think if we just tell all the terrorists that we are sorry they will be satisfied and go back to being the “good” Muslims we all know and love....*LOL*
An astounding fact:
100% of executed terrorists were never again found being terrorists. Their recidivism rate was 0%.
Thus, we learn that bullets cure terrorism recidivism.
Sufficient waterboarding can, as well.
“What a rat’s nest NYU is.”
It is hardly just NYU. Columbia is no better, and if there is not a collectivism impaired educational facility anywhere in the Greater Big Sh*tty Area, I would like to know about it.
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