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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 8 February 2019

Guantanamo prison looms as option as IS fight ends

By SUSANNAH GEORGE tention center, he said
Associated Press he would “load it up with
WASHINGTON (AP) — The some bad dudes.”
Guantanamo Bay deten- “Repatriating foreign terror-
tion center would receive ist fighters to their countries
new prisoners for the first of origin and ensuring they
time in more than a de- are prosecuted and de-
cade under one option tained is the best solution
being considered as the to prevent them from re-
U.S. withdraws its forces turning to the battlefield,”
from Syria and works to re- the State Department said.
solve the fate of hundreds A U.S. official, said Guanta-
of captured suspected Is- namo is the “option of last
lamic State fighters, officials resort.”
say. The official, speaking on
U.S.-backed Syrian fight- condition of anonymity,
ers have custody of nearly said the U.S. has identified
1,000 suspected IS fighters about 50 people among
who the State Department the more than 900 held
said should be sent back by Syrian forces as “high
to their home countries value” suspects that could
and prosecuted. The Syrian be transported to Guanta-
fighters have warned they namo if they are not repa-
may not be able to con- In this Nov. 20, 2013 file photo, reviewed by the U.S. military, the entrance to Camp VI detention triated.
tinue to hold the IS fight- facility is guarded at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. Sending Islamic State pris-
ers after the withdrawal of Associated Press oners to Guantanamo
American forces from Syria partment said Thursday. The Associated Press in re- candidate, when asked would open up new legal
ordered by President Don- “The Administration’s Na- sponse to questions about about what he would do challenges, according to
ald Trump in December. tional Strategy for Counter- the prisoners. with the controversial de- experts.q
If they can’t be repatriat- terrorism makes very clear Trump had said in his first
ed, though, the detention that Law of Armed Con- State of the Union last year
center on the U.S. base at flict detention, including that he would use Guan- Democrats and GOP square
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, at Guantanamo, remains tanamo “in many cases”
could be used to hold an important and effec- to detain prisoners as part off over Trump’s tax returns
them “where lawful and tive counterterrorism tool,” of the fight against Islamic
appropriate,” the State De- it said in a statement to State and al-Qaida. As a

Chairman of House Ways & Means Committee Oversight Sub-
committee Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., speaks with Ranking Mem-
ber Mike Kelly, R-Pa., during a hearing on proposals to compel
presidents and presidential candidates to make public years of
their tax returns on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019, in Wash-
ington.
Associated Press

By MARCY GORDON, AP of their tax returns public.
Business Writer And they discussed the au-
WASHINGTON (AP) — With thority under current law
Democrats now controlling for the head of the House
the House and holding the Ways and Means Commit-
legal key to seeking Presi- tee — now Democratic
dent Donald Trump’s tax Rep. Richard Neal — to
returns, Republican law- make a written request for
makers are invoking pri- any tax returns to the Trea-
vacy in defending Trump’s sury secretary.
flank. The law says the Treasury
At an oversight hearing chief “shall furnish” the re-
Thursday, lawmakers exam- quested information to
ined proposals to compel members of the committee
presidents and presidential for them to examine be-
candidates to make years hind closed doors.q