WASHINGTON
– Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Vice Chairman Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and colleagues in introducing the Preventing
Terrorist Transfers to Afghanistan Act (S.4491). The bill, which
mirrors a bipartisan provision in the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2023, would prevent the transfer of individuals currently
detained at the United States Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to
Afghanistan. Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.), Republican
Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and Ranking Members Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Jim
Inhofe (R-Okla.), and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) are original cosponsors.
“The
President’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan left a safe haven for
terrorists to rebuild and plot attacks outside that country’s borders. It’s
unconscionable that we would return an extremist, with anti-American views, to
that safe haven. It potentially puts American lives at risk. Our legislation
will ensure this misguided action does not happen again,” Grassley said.
“It
is reckless and irresponsible to release Asadullah Haroon Gul al Afghani to the
Taliban,” Rubio said. “The terrorist organization that now controls
Afghanistan cannot and will not ensure Gul, or any future detainees who are
released, will not return to the battlefield and potentially kill Americans or
other innocent civilians. It is clear that Congress needs to immediately pass this
legislation to prevent the Biden Administration from releasing additional
detainees who endanger U.S. interests and innocent lives. Sending
individuals like Gul with known extremists views to the very terrorist safe
haven they recreated following the disastrous military withdrawal last summer
is unconscionable.”
“This
is an overdue correction to long-standing law preventing the transfer of
terrorist detainees to countries that support terrorism,” McConnell said.
“Following President Biden’s reckless abandonment of Afghanistan, that country
is now controlled by terrorists with American blood on their hands, and so we
shouldn’t be sending any terrorists back there.”
“As
a recent UN report confirms, the Taliban maintains a dangerous relationship
with al Qaeda and has been unwilling to control terrorism inside of
Afghanistan’s borders. Worse, the same report indicates al Qaeda enjoys
increased freedom of action to plot attacks outside of Afghanistan – a threat
to all Americans,” Risch said. “This legislation rightly prevents the
release of Guantanamo detainees to Afghanistan where the risk of returning to
terrorism is high.”
“After
President Biden’s disastrous drawdown from Afghanistan, we cannot afford to
allow American security concerns to grow even worse,” Inhofe said. “The
detainees at Guantanamo are some of the most dangerous terrorists in the world.
With the introduction of this legislation, we can prevent the transfer of
detainees to Afghanistan, where they do not belong. This is needed legislation
and it should become law quickly — as is evident by this administration’s
terrible decision today.”
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