A case against moving Guantanamo terrorists to Stafford

The decision to move the terrorists from Guantanamo to the Brig on the Quantico Marine Base has not been officially announced, but the rumors abound that Quantico is on the very short list. That makes the timing of these arguments more relevant because a strong case can be made (not to move the terrorists to Stafford) that may not be given proper weight by the Justice Department. Much of this argument would be moot if the Justice Department conducted its deliberations in a transparent manner as was promised many times in the last presidential race. So much for campaign promises.

For clarification, the Quantico Brig is located in the northeast corner of Stafford County, not Prince William County as many blogs have reported. This facility lies less than a half-mile from the southern boundary of the base where numerous Widewater residents live in a quiet rural setting; less than three miles from the northeastern edge of Aquia Harbor and less than five miles from the intersection of Rt. 610 and U.S. 1. Over 72,000 Stafford residents live within a 10-mile radius.

Stafford is a family-oriented, bedroom community. People live here because it’s a great place to raise a family and enjoy a high quality of life. A major component of that is the expectation that when we retire for the night we know that our family is safe. Can anyone in Stafford actually feel safe knowing that a short distance away are over 100 of the most cold-blooded murders on earth whose professed sole purpose in life is to kill Americans? Let’s not forget to mention the thousands of equally motivated accomplices who share this desire. Does anyone doubt that they have the means and motivation to inflict serious harm and where better than near where their comrades are held prisoner?

The Quantico Brig is located about 500 feet from the major rail line servicing the East Coast that hosts the Virginia Rail Express. Over 1500 VRE commuters, not to mention Amtrak passengers, travel that route twice each day. It appears that the courthouse in Fairfax will be used to prosecute each of the terrorists. On a daily basis these hardened criminals will be transported up and down the I-95 corridor. One line of thinking is that the interstate will be closed each time they make the trip. To envision what that will look like, image the traffic jam caused last year when President Bush spoke to the Rotary in south Stafford. The corridor is already a commuter’s nightmare.

The Attorney General traveled throughout Europe asking our allies to step up to the plate and share the burden. He had few takers. He said that America is willing to do “our” fair share. What he meant to say is that Stafford will carry the load for the entire United States of America regardless of the cost and burden on Stafford residents.

Since it is a given that Guantanamo will be closed and I don’t hear the top four leaders in the Executive and Legislative Branch volunteering their home cities, Chicago, Wilmington, Las Vegas or San Francisco as alternative locations, I recommend we send them back to a climate they are familiar with — the desert. Death Valley sounds about right.

Mark Dudenhefer is the Garrisonville representative on the Stafford County Board of Supervisors.