Obama Implements Catch and Release – For ISIS

[rangerrebew]

Obama Implements Catch and Release – For ISIS
 

In the wake of the Obama administrations repeated attempts to close the detention facility at Gitmo, he has arrived at a new plan to make sure no one else is housed there. Today the U.S. military announced that it has no plans to hold captured Islamic State operatives for more than a 30 days. After that, they will be turned over to the Iraqi government according to a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition based in Baghdad.

The spokesman elaborated on the statement saying that; “Fourteen to 30 days is a ballpark figure, but even that is not really completely nailed down,” said Col. Steve Warren, a U.S. military spokesman based in Baghdad. “There isn’t a hard definition of short-term.”

isis operatives

Yesterday, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook tried to explain the new Obama policy for containing ISIS members captured on the battlefield, saying that at best, the policy is evolving. He said they would be handled on a “case-by-case” basis over a “short-term” period.

The announcement and lack of a well-defined policy for handling captured ISIS terrorists has turned Capitol Hill upside down to say the least. As one congressional aid put it, “The law requires a comprehensive detainee policy.” “By definition, ‘we’ll figure it out if we ever capture anyone’ is not a comprehensive policy. “

Among the concerns are first that the vague short-term detention policy hampers the U.S. military’s ability to gather intelligence, particularly as Obama continues to try to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba despite current laws regarding the base. Secondly, there is concern that the Iraqi government is not capable of keeping the prisoner’s incarcerated long term. This is because in the past, there have been multiple prison breaks where captured terrorists have escaped.
 

In an effort to counter this new Obama no-policy policy, On Thursday, 12 Republican senators, including presidential candidates Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, introduced a resolution to send the captured ISIS fighters to Guantanamo Bay.

Warren acknowledged Friday the U.S. military in Iraq is “not equipped for long-term detention” and “not in that business.” “As we take people off the battlefield we’re just going to have to make the decisions as we go,” he said.

Warren attempted to quell dissention of the new “Policy” saying that any ISIS detainees turned over to the Iraqi government will be available to U.S. authorities in the future should the need arise to question them. “This is not a catch-and-release program,” he said. “If we have to go back and talk to them, we’ll go back and talk to them.” Unless of course, they manage to escape.

When asked about his confidence in the Iraqi government’s ability to hold ISIS prisoners, Warren was absolute in his liberal logic. “We are confident [the Iraqis] can hold them. If some escape, then we’ll just go catch them again or kill ‘em.” I cannot help but wonder if he would like to pick up a weapon and be one of the men and women that will have to put their lives on the line to “just go catch them again or kill ‘em,” I doubt it very much.

The Washington Post contributed to this story.

[rangerrebew]

 Pentagon Won’t Hold Captured ISIS Fighters Beyond 30 Days
Posted By Morgan Chalfant On March 11, 2016 @ 4:48 pm In National Security | No Comments

The Pentagon said Friday that it will not hold captured ISIS operatives beyond 30 days, after which they will be turned over to the Iraqi government.

“Fourteen to 30 days is a ballpark figure, but even that is not really completely nailed down,” U.S. military spokesman Col. Steve Warren, who is based in Baghdad, told reporters Friday, according to Fox News, adding that there isn’t a “hard definition of short-term.”

Warren also said that U.S. military members operating in Iraq are “not equipped for long-term detention.”

“As we take people off the battlefield we’re just going to have to make the decisions as we go,” the spokesman stated.

Republican lawmakers have expressed concern about the Pentagon’s handling of captured ISIS operatives, particularly in light of President Obama’s push to shutter the military prison at Guantanamo Bay.

On Thursday, a group of 15 senators introduced a resolution that would express the sense that the United States should detain captured ISIS fighters at Guantanamo Bay. In his push to close the prison, Obama has refused to send newly-captured terrorist suspects to Guantanamo. Sen. Cory Gardner (R., Colo.), one of the cosponsors, said that the resolution would “pave the way” for the Obama administration to transfer ISIS detainees to Guantanamo Bay.

Additionally, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R., Calif.), a former Marine, expressed concern to Defense Secretary Ash Carter in January that the president’s policy toward Guantanamo could be forcing the Pentagon to release new-captured suspected terrorists back to the battlefield to resume terrorist activities.

Warren’s comments Friday echoed those of Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook, who said Thursday that the policy for detaining captured ISIS operatives is developing and that they would be handled on a “case-by-case” basis for a “short-term” period.

Earlier this week, reports indicated that U.S. special forces in Iraq had recently captured the head of the ISIS chemical weapons unit, who Cook said Thursday has been handed over to the Iraqi government. Information gleaned from the operative’s capture in Iraq resulted in two air strikes targeting ISIS chemical weapons facilities over the past week.

Warren said that the policy toward ISIS captives is “not a catch-and-release program” and that the military could go back and talk to operatives handed over to the Iraqi government if necessary.

“We are confident [the Iraqis] can hold them. If some escape, then we’ll just go catch them again or kill ‘em,” he further stated.

Warren said that the Pentagon is not considering building detention centers to house captured ISIS fighters.

Article printed from Washington Free Beacon: http://freebeacon.com

URL to article: http://freebeacon.com/national-security/pentagon-wont-hold-isis-beyond-30-days/