FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Contact: Amanda Maddox, 202-224-7777

Marie Gordon, 770-661-0999

Isakson Fights Presidents Plan to

Close Guantanamo

We must keep those who wish to do us harm

off the battlefield, especially off of American
soil
WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., this week joined his
colleagues in sponsoring two resolutions to prevent President Obama from
implementing his plan announced February 23, 2016, to close Guantanamo Bay
military detention facility.
The first resolution calling for fighters involved with Islamic State in Iraq and the
Levant, known as ISIL, to be detained at the Guantanamo Bay military detention
facility if they are captured by the United States. The resolution follows the recent
announcement that U.S. Special Forces captured an ISIL chemical weapons specialist
while carrying out Operation Inherent Resolve the name given to U.S. military
operations against ISIL in Iraq and Syria.
The second resolution outlines the multiple bills passed by Congress and signed into
law that prohibit the president from closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.
The resolution states that the presidents proposal, if carried out through an
executive action, would be in direct violation of nine separate laws, and states the
reasons why any alternative location would be unacceptable and dangerous to the
security of our homeland. Further, it reiterates statements by the administration
acknowledging that any move by the president to put military combatants detained at
Guantanamo on the mainland would be against the law.

Our number one priority should be keeping our homeland safe and secure
from the threat of radical terrorists, including those from the Islamic State in
Iraq and the Levant, said Isakson. Unfortunately, the president appears more
focused on releasing terrorists to fulfill his political promise to close
Guantanamo Bay prison than on going after the very terrorists he should be
sending there. We must continue to utilize this critical detention facility in the
fight against global terrorism. We must keep those who wish to do us harm
off the battlefield, and, especially off of American soil.
As the United States continues to conduct combat operations against ISIL, U.S.
forces are likely to continue capturing terrorists that are connected to the group.
Guantanamo Bay was established to house individuals who had engaged in, aided,
abetted or conspired to commit acts of international terrorism and should be utilized
as our nation faces continued terrorist threats.
###

AMANDA MADDOX
Press Secretary

OFFICE OF UNITED STATES SENATOR JOHNNY ISAKSON

131 Russell Senate Office Building | Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202.224.3643 | fax: 202.228.0724

Visit Johnnys website to learn more about his work in the Senate and to sign up for his newsletter.