Ayotte Probes Adminstration Detainee Policy at Armed Services Hearing

Press Release

U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), a Senate Armed Services Committee member, today expressed deep concern that roughly 25 percent of released Guantanamo detainees return to the terrorist fight after being discharged from the detention facility.

At an Armed Services Committee nominations hearing held Tuesday, Ayotte questioned Secretary Michael Vickers -- the President's nominee to serve as Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence -- about the Administration's detainee policy. In response to a question from Ayotte, Vickers said that approximately 150 of the 600 (25 percent) detainees released from Guantanamo have resumed hostile activities against the United States and its allies.

Following today's hearing, Ayotte commented on Vickers' testimony: "This 25 percent recidivism rate for released Guantanamo detainees is unacceptable and calls into question the Administration's terrorist detainee release policy. The federal government's most important responsibility is to protect American citizens. It is irresponsible to continue to release terrorist detainees when we know that one out of four will resume their terrorist activities against Americans and our allies."

During her questioning of Vickers, Ayotte asked how the 25 percent recidivism rate will inform detainee release decisions moving forward. She also asked him, in light of the President's call to close the Guantanamo Bay facility, what is being done with high-value detainees who are captured now and what steps are being taken to ensure we're able to interrogate and -- where appropriate -- detain them.

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