Army soldiers run in front of the Honor Bound sign at Joint Task Force Guantanamo's Camp Delta on June 16, 2010. (Specialist 3rd Class Joshua Nistas / US Navy)
Bush, Obama Administrations Slammed Over Gitmo Detainee Releases
Updated: Thursday, 09 Feb 2012, 8:14 AM EST
Published : Thursday, 09 Feb 2012, 8:14 AM EST
(FOX News) - A new report by Republicans on the US House Armed Services Committee slams both the Bush and Obama administrations for taking too many risks when releasing prisoners from Guantanamo Bay prison, FOX News learned.
The 93-page report, expected to be approved Thursday, criticizes the evolution of detainee policies over the past decade and claims that both the Bush and Obama administrations adhered to "domestic political pressures" to allow the transfer of some detainees. In turn, those transfers amped up the national security risk to the US.
The report comes as Obama administration officials acknowledged that they are considering whether to release several Afghan Taliban prisoners from Guantanamo and send them to a third country as an incentive to bring the Taliban to peace talks. The step is certain to create uproar in Congress, especially among Republicans. The 93-page study is likely to be part of the Republican effort to influence the ongoing debate.
Nearly 14 percent of the former detainees re-engaged in terrorist or insurgent activities upon release, and another 12 percent are suspected of doing so, according to the document.
"The Bush and Obama administrations, reacting to domestic political pressures and a desire to earn goodwill abroad, sought to reduce the Guantanamo population by sending detainees elsewhere," the report said. "Despite earnest and well-meaning efforts by officials in both administrations, the re-engagement rate suggests failures in one or both aspects of the process."
The report recommended that the Defense Department, CIA and other intelligence agencies report to Congress on the factors that contribute to a former detainee re-engaging in terrorist activities. The committee also is seeking reports on the effectiveness of agreements with other countries.
As of Jan. 1, 779 individuals have been held at Guantanamo, 600 have left the installation, eight died there and 171 remain, the report said, citing the Defense Department.
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