Gitmo Detainees Who Were Released Returned To the Battlefield And Are Killing Americans


Fifteen Gitmo detainees who were later released under the Bush Administration returned to the battlefield. The detainees who were released killed at least half a dozen Americans.

The Washington Post reported that the Obama Administration believed that those who were released launched attacks against the U. S. A senior official at the Pentagon revealed a startling admission to Congress when he stated that Gitmo detainees who had been released were responsible for the deaths of Americans overseas.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, ISIS has repeatedly called for attacks against American military and police officers. Homeland Security said that they had taken additional security measures to prevent further attacks after the scare at Los Angeles International Airport. The measures wouldn’t apply to American service members serving overseas or in Iraq or Afghanistan. Officials are most worried about “lone wolf” attacks, attacks where a single individual attacks military or police personnel.

Because the intelligence behind the report on Gitmo detainees is classified, the White House refused to elaborate further on the exact incidents that took place and which detainees were involved. Although most of the attacks were aimed at military personnel, one American civilian was killed in 2008, an American aid worker. The number of killed and wounded is also classified.

The Obama Administration has been criticized for wanting to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay because of Congress’s concern over the number of people who have been killed. Congress is concerned that the attacks will escalate.

WWLP reported that the 15 Gitmo detainees that were released by the American government before 2009 eventually went on to attack Americans in Afghanistan. The U. S. government is aware of the recidivism rate of Gitmo detainees, and of the 676 detainees that have been released, 118 returned to fight while 86 are suspected of returning to fight. This is the first time that the American government has confirmed that there was a problem in releasing detainees. Detainees have been transferred to various foreign governments for disposition creating further problems because these governments often lose track of the detainees.

The Obama Administration made the decision to close Guantanamo and either release the detainees or turn them over to the respective foreign governments. Colonel Cedric Leighton, a CNN military analyst, said that the loss of even one life would be considered too great for the American public.

“People on the hill, people in the American public are going to look at this and they’re going to say the minute that you release somebody no matter what the statistics are, the risk is too great. And the fact that they’ve killed Americans is most damning of all.”

RT reported on the future of the Guantanamo detention camp and said that closing the facility has always been a point of contention and that there are strong opinions on both sides. Critics want to know what will be done with Gitmo detainees who can’t be released. There have been accusations of torture against Gitmo detainees, and detainees have conducted multiple hunger strikes to protest their treatment. Ten years ago, investigators first learned of deaths from within Guantanamo Bay.

Guantanamo was originally opened as a detention facility by President George Bush after the September 11 attacks. Approximately 779 Gitmo detainees have been housed in the facility. Only 80 detainees remain although 28 of those are cleared for release.

[Photo by John Moore/Getty Images]

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