‘His willingness to return to the bipartisan approach of military commissions for trying detainees now held in Guantanamo Bay is an encouraging development’

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement Friday regarding the President’s decision to resume the use of the military commission process:

“After studying the files of the detainees at the secure facility at Guantanamo Bay, the administration has decided to resume the use of the military commission process that Congress enacted at the suggestion of the Supreme Court. I will review the President’s proposal to ensure it will not handicap our soldiers in the field, put classified information at risk, or unreasonably prevent bringing these terrorists to justice. But his willingness to return to the bipartisan approach of military commissions for trying detainees now held in Guantanamo Bay is an encouraging development.

“Given the disruption and potential dangers caused by bringing terror suspects into American communities, the secure, modern courtroom at Guantanamo Bay is the appropriate place for commission proceedings.”

Background: Congress passed the Military Commission Act on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis because Republicans and Democrats agree that in a war there are serious difficulties with using a civilian judicial process to bring foreign terrorists to justice. They are an important and well-accepted military justice system that our country has used since its earliest days and is a fair legal system that recognizes we are not dealing with ordinary criminals.