(CNSNews.com) – Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) said Sen. Dick Durbin’s (D-Ill.) idea to house Guantanamo Bay detainees in Illinois shows that the Democrats have “at least” come up with “a jobs program.”
Franks sarcastically praised Durbin and Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn’s idea to house terrorists from Gitmo in the Thomson Correction Center in Northwest Illinois saying, “Let’s bring terrorists to America, and let’s make sure that we have a lot of jobs to take care of them.”
On Capitol Hill, CNSNews.com asked Franks, “Congressman, you mentioned the Obama administration’s handling of terrorism and national security issues. The Obama administration has announced it will try the alleged mastermind behind the attack on the U.S.S. Cole in a military commission. Do you believe he can get a constitutionally legitimate and fair trial in a military commission?”
“I think the administration makes a profound error in bringing terrorists into this country to try them under our constitutionally structured federal government court system, because all of a sudden it changes them from enemy combatants, unlawful combatants, to having the same status as citizens – and it threatens to, I think, endanger all of the country,” Franks said.
“I will say this,” Franks continued, “It was pretty profound. One nexus here is that Senator Durbin – a liberal senator – has said that they want to bring the Gitmo detainees into Illinois to house them there for these trials in America rather than the military tribunals that they should face. But he said it’s partly for jobs.
“So now at least the Democrats have come up with a jobs program,” said Franks, speaking at a press conference on Nov. 17 about the downside of a big federal government.
“Let’s bring terrorists to America, and let’s make sure that we have a lot of jobs to take care of them, and it also unfortunately might create the need for a lot more jobs to deal with the havoc that they create,” Franks added.
Franks further said that the Obama administration’s decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammad and other 9/11 plotters in a civilian court could encourage terrorists to harm Americans on U.S. soil.
“This is a message to terrorists, the world over, that it’s better to come here and maybe do something bad in this country rather than the battlefield. because you’ll be better protected here under the court system. So, it’s a bad situation all around,” he said.
Attorney General Eric Holder announced on Nov. 13 that Khalid Sheik Mohammed and five other 9/11 suspects would be tried in a civilian court in New York City instead of in a military tribunal.