Urges Support of GTMO Transparency Amendment

WASHINGTON — Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, responded to a news report Wednesday that said the Obama administration believes at least 12 released Guantanamo detainees are responsible for attacks against U.S. or allied forces in Afghanistan. Johnson said this in response:

“A recent news report citing U.S. officials who believe at least 12 former Guantanamo Bay detainees launched attacks that resulted in the deaths of about a half-dozen Americans is disturbing. Even one death is one too many. The American people deserve a government willing to be honest and transparent in the face of the global threat of terrorism.  There are 80 detainees left at Guantanamo Bay – the worst of the worst. Information regarding these transfers should be public, not hidden by unnecessary classification. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act requiring transparency from the Obama administration on the remaining Guantanamo Bay detainee transfers.”

Summary of Johnson’s GTMO transparency amendment below:

Requires the secretary of defense, in consultation with the secretary of state, to provide an unclassified notice to Congress containing:

• The name, country of origin, and country of destination of the individual proposed to be transferred;

• The number of individuals detained at the Guantanamo Bay facility previously transferred to that country; and

• The number of such individuals who are known or suspected to have re-engaged in terrorist activity after being transferred to that country.

Clarifies that a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the United States and a foreign country regarding the transfer of a Guantanamo detainee shall also be transmitted to Congress in an unclassified format, or if the secretary of defense determines that the MOU must be classified, the secretary must submit to Congress a detailed unclassified report explaining why the MOU is being kept classified.

The amendment also requires the secretary of defense to tell Congress why he chose a particular country for each transfer and which countries are next on the potential transfer list.

The amendment is consistent with existing requirements under the Fiscal Year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Full text of 4464 can be found here.

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