COLUMBIA, SC – U.S. Congressman Gresham Barrett, Republican candidate for Governor, today asked his fellow candidates for Governor to join him in signing a letter to President Obama requesting that the Administration remove South Carolina from consideration as a possible location for housing terrorists transferred from Guantanamo Bay Cuba. Copies of this letter were emailed to representatives of all the Republican and Democratic candidates for Governor. A copy of the letter is provided below:

November 3, 2009

President Barack Obama

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

Mr. President:

South Carolina faces numerous challenges. Our state’s economy is struggling. Unemployment is hovering near record highs and families are deeply concerned about their future.

According to some Congressional insiders and investigative news reports that surfaced late last week, your Administration conducted an on-site tour of the Naval Brig in North Charleston earlier this fall.  The purpose was, among other things, to determine whether it is viable to house transferred detainees from Guantanamo Bay in North Charleston and if they could conduct military tribunals at a National Guard facility nearby.

The people of this state have already made it abundantly clear that any plan to move terrorists to our soil is unacceptable.

We, the undersigned Republican and Democrat candidates for Governor of the State of South Carolina, strenuously object to the potential transfer of known terrorists from Guantanamo Bay Cuba to any federal or state facility inside the State of South Carolina.

Furthermore, we believe bringing known terrorists to South Carolina for a military trial endangers our state’s citizens and makes them potential targets for some future terrorist attack.

We strongly urge you, Mr. President, not to transfer any more of these known terrorists to American soil and we would support any legal or legislative remedy opposing more terrorist transfers to the State of South Carolina.

Sincerely,

Congressman J. Gresham Barrett