TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas officials have sent President Barack Obama a letter protesting the possible move of detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the military prison at Fort Leavenworth.
The officials sent the letter Monday, saying moving terrorism suspects to northeast Kansas would jeopardize families, schools and local businesses. The letter was signed by all six members of the state’s congressional delegation, Gov. Sam Brownback, legislators and local officials.
The letter also predicted some U.S. allies in the Middle East would stop sending officers to train at Fort Leavenworth should detainees be moved there.
Closing the Guantanamo Bay detention center has been a priority for Obama but continues to inspire congressional opposition. The Defense Department earlier this year surveyed seven potential sites for housing detainees in Kansas, Colorado and South Carolina.
