Guantanamo Closing - Pro/Con

Those who supported closing the detainee center at Guantanamo held that the center provided a recruitment tool for terrorists because of the alleged torture that took place there. In addition, critics of Guantanamo argued that pillars of the American legal system-including the right to a speedy trial and to confront one's accusers-were abandoned at Guantanamo and served to promote a negative image of the United States around the world. This negative image, they suggested, would serve as reason for additional attacks on the United States (Rhee, 2009).

Critics of the Guantanamo Bay closure include Lamar Smith, a Republican congressional representative from Texas and the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee. Smith expresses the same concern of many others when he noted that it is unclear where the detainees will be sent after the camp closes and this could cause increased security threats. If the detainees are transferred to American soil, Smith is concerned that they would