Senator Lankford: Cut Foreign Aid to Nations Who Mishandle GITMO Terrorists

Statement

Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today called on Senate Appropriations leaders to cut taxpayer-funded foreign aid for nations who mishandle terrorists formerly held at America's Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba.

Earlier this month, two detainees were transferred from Guantanamo Bay to the west African nation of Ghana. To better ensure that terrorists don't return to the fight, Lankford and three other Senators wrote a letter calling for the reduction of foreign aid to Ghana, or any other nation, if those prisoners escape or return to terrorism. Today's letter is also meant to send a message to other nations who are applying to house prisoners, that their standard for detention must be extremely high.

President Obama has repeatedly attempted to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility but has been thwarted by Congress. In March, Lankford visited the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, and introduced the Guantanamo Bay Recidivism Prevention Act of 2015, to improve the monitoring of former Guantanamo Bay detainees transferred to foreign countries to prevent them from returning to terrorism. In addition to serving on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Lankford also serves on the Intelligence Committee and Homeland Security Committee.

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