Senator Tom Harkin (D(of course)-IA) wants to close Gitmo and move the terrorist to jail in the continental United States. He claims that the maximum security prisons in Iowa seem to hold criminals quite well and there should be no worry about the terrorists now at Gitmo escaping from prisons in Iowa. The good Senator fails to realize that there is a difference, a major difference, between a common criminal and a Gitmo terrorist. That difference being a worldwide network of fellow terrorist who might, just might, take it upon themselves to liberate said prisoners from said prisons.

In no way am I attempting to denigrate the abilities of the prison officials in Iowa or any other state, but there is a huge difference between keeping a murderer in prison and keeping a dedicated group of suicide bombers out. What is to keep other terrorist from heading to a town that hosts a prison and taking a few hostages and demanding the release of the terrorists held inside?

If housing these terrorist in prisons is what needs to be done then the strategically smart thing to do is to place them not in one prison inside the United States but rather to place them in multiple prisons inside the United States. This then eliminates he easy win of attacking one prison and securing the release of multiple prisoners. This then also would require the approval of the Senators of the many states to go along with it and that I think is very unlikely. So perhaps Gitmo may be the best solution after all.

But I admit, I do grow tired of politicians getting on the television and radio and describing what should be done with no action. If losing Gitmo is really what Senator Harkin wants then he need only introduce a bill in the Senate requiring that Gitmo be closed and all the prisoners be transferred to Iowa. Should he do that then it will be up to his successor to return the accused terrorist to some other place–for surely he would be defeated at the polls in the next election.