Ayotte Calls for Administration to Send Captured ISIS Terrorist to Gitmo

Press Release

Following reports that U.S. Special Operations forces captured a high-ranking ISIS terrorist in Iraq, U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte today called for the Obama administration to transfer the individual to the Guantanamo Bay detention facility to be detained and interrogated. Pentagon officials have said that they intend to turn the individual over to Iraqi or Kurdish custody, and the Pentagon spokesman said this week that any detention of captured ISIS terrorists would be "short term". These comments raise serious questions about whether the administration is forfeiting the opportunity to gather valuable intelligence that could protect America and our allies and prevent future attacks.

"ISIS continues to pose a dangerous threat to the U.S. and our allies, and the capture of a high-ranking ISIS terrorist is a significant opportunity to gather valuable intelligence and prevent future attacks. The detention facility at Guantanamo Bay is designed specifically for this purpose," said Senator Ayotte. "This incident also underscores the urgent need for a long-term detention policy for future terrorists, which the administration has failed to provide for the past seven years and which was not included in its recently released plan to close Gitmo."

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