Obama Ignores Congress, Brings Terrorist Detainee to New York

Jul 18, 2011
Defense Drumbeat
A New York Times article published today reports that the Obama Administration will prosecute a Somali accused of ties to two Islamist militant groups in civilian court in New York City.

The suspect, Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame, was indicted for allegedly providing support to the Shabab in Somalia and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, in Yemen, according to the Times.

Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon expressed his disapproval with the transfer in the article stating that, “The transfer of this terrorist detainee directly contradicts Congressional intent and the will of the American people. Congress has spoken clearly multiple times — including explicitly in pending legislation — of the perils of bringing terrorists onto U.S. soil.  It is unacceptable that the administration notified Congress only after it unilaterally transferred this detainee to New York City despite multiple requests for consultation.”

Section 1039 of the House-passed FY 2012 NDAA would explicitly prohibit these types of transfers to the United States.

Since the Obama Administration has yet to define a coherent detainee and interrogation policy, Warsame was held for months board a U.S. Navy vessel while Administration officials  “were engaged in deliberations about what to do with Mr. Warsame’s case,” according to the Times.

112th Congress