May 21, 2009 - Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-02), a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the Judiciary Committee, today gave the following response to President Obama's speech on the closing of Guantanamo at the National Archives Museum.

"Today's speech by President Obama further revealed a dangerous naiveté about the nature of America's enemies." Congressman Franks stated. "The President claims that granting American Constitutional rights to foreign nationals captured on a foreign battlefield-- captured while trying to kill Americans and our allies-- will somehow make America safer and uphold our cherished values.  Nothing could be further from the truth. 

"It is not an American value to equivocate jihadist terrorists and domestic criminals who are subjected to our law enforcement process only after they've committed a crime.  The idea of future prosecution holds no dissuasion for terrorists because they are willing to give their life to be able to take yours. 

"It is not an American value for the Administration to violate the will of millions of Americans, include the Democrat Majority in Congress, to force these terrorists to be housed in local communities so it can fulfill a dangerous promise it made on the campaign trail.

"It is not an American value for liberal judges in our federal courts, many of whom have proven their lack of understanding of the Constitution, to grant Constitutional rights to these detainees and allow them to be released on American streets.  This is especially true in light of reports showing that 14% of detainees return to jihadist activities, and Director Mueller's statement yesterday reaffirming the concern that bringing detainees into the U.S. presents the real risk that they could facilitate attacks on the America.

"It is also not an American value to compromise our ability to defend the American people in the name of protecting our public image amongst the international community; nor to hamper our own ability to gather intelligence of terrorists who actively seeking to do America harm. As Vice President Cheney stated, 'Nothing is more consistent with American values than to stop them [terrorists].'

"I believe that time will prove that Guantanamo did what it was intended to do: it helped to save innocent lives by preventing terrorist attacks, which should be our first and foremost priority as elected officials entrusted with the protection of the American people."