Military looking at US prisons for Gitmo detainees

“At a time when we face relentless threats from the Islamic State, and have yet to hear a strategy to defeat ISIL, it is absurd to hear that the Department of Defense has personnel on the ground at Fort Leavenworth conducting site surveys to advance the President’s proposal that could ultimately result in the transfer of these terrorist to Kansas”, she said in a statement.

Military personnel are assessing sites on U.S. soil that might serve as facilities for Guantanamo Bay detainees, if Congress allows the detention center’s closure, Pentagon officials told NBC News on Friday. And nothing could be done without the approval of Congress as lawmakers would have to change a 2010 law banning the transfer of Guantanamo detainees to the United States.

Bringing the detainees to the U.S. mainland – or more specifically to the Navy jail near Charleston – has long been opposed by South Carolina lawmakers who fear such a move would heighten the region’s susceptibility to a possible terror plot.

Closing the prison at Guantanamo has been an Obama administration priority and was a part of his first-term pledge to shut down the terror-suspect holding site.

“Security and humane treatment are our primary concerns but, cost is also a factor we’re analyzing”, Ross said.

The Department of Defense (DoD) uses the example of the population of Guantanamo aging, citing additional required medical expenses and annual cost to keep each detainee.

“Only those locations that can hold detainees at a maximum security level will be considered”, the spokesman said.

The assessments, he said, will help determine which facilities can be considered potential candidates to house the detainees. But that effort has faced persistent hurdles, including staunch opposition from Republicans and some Democrats in Congress and ongoing difficulties transferring out the dozens of detainees who have been cleared to leave.

“I shut down this administration’s nominee for secretary of the Army in 2009 to prevent moving any detainees to Kansas and will do it again if necessary”, he said.

“Not on my watch will any terrorist be placed in Kansas”, he added.

At the Aspen Institute’s recent national security conference in Colorado, Lisa Monaco, Obama’s homeland security adviser, said the administration wants to move out the 52 detainees.