Rubio Campaign Press Release - Marco Rubio Calls Out President Obama's Latest Dangerous Plan to Put Politics Ahead of National Security

November 18, 2015
By Marco Rubio

Too often, President Obama has been more interested in the politics of war than in the execution of it. That's why for seven years the United States has not had a coherent detention and interrogation policy, hindering the fight against radical Islamist terrorism around the world.

Now, President Obama is putting legacy politics above national security in a desperate attempt to fulfill his campaign promise to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. This is shameful, and I oppose his ongoing transfers of detainees from Guantanamo. These transfers are reckless and risk returning hardened terrorists to the fight.

Closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay and returning terrorists to the battlefield or even worse, bringing them to the United States, will not make America safer or convince those who hate us and our way of life to give up the fight.

As President, I will focus America's detention policy exclusively on protecting our national security, keeping dangerous terrorists off the battlefield, and ensuring our military and intelligence professionals have the authorities and tools they need to obtain valuable intelligence from captured terrorists and prevent attacks on our homeland. The detention facility at Guantanamo Bay will remain an option for the detention of captured terrorists. Enemy combatants suitable for trial will be tried in military tribunals. And Guantanamo detainees will not be brought to the United States for trial in our courts.

President Obama and Secretary Clinton want to return to the failed pre-9/11 law enforcement approach to counterterrorism. But as the attacks in Paris show us, America remains a nation at war. If we are going to win this war, we need a President who understands this fundamental reality.

That is why on my first day in office I will rescind President Obama's actions to close Guantanamo and issue an Executive Order keeping the facility open.