Political Quotes

“I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record letters from Secretary Hagel, Secretary Kerry, Attorney General Holder, and the Director of National Intelligence, James R. Clapper. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: Secretary of Defense Washington, DC, Nov 19, 2013. Hon. Carl Levin, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: I write regarding the President's goal of closing the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility and to note the importance of lifting the restrictions on detainee transfers that prevent us from achieving that goal. These restrictions make it difficult to transfer detainees and to close Guantanamo. They are also unnecessary. Before transferring a detainee, this Administration will always ensure the receiving country commits to taking necessary measures to ensure that the detainee's threat is mitigated and the detainee will not be mistreated. As you know, I recently appointed Mr. Paul Lewis as the Department's Special Envoy for Guantanamo transfers. Special Envoy Lewis will work closely with the State Department's Special Envoy, Mr. Cliff Sloan, to meet with foreign governments and negotiate these assurances. Eliminating or easing the congressionally mandated transfer restrictions would help facilitate our ongoing efforts to transfer detainees once those assurances have been obtained.…”