Guantanamo Prisoners Get Laptops, Computer Lab

U.S. taxpayers are buying laptops and computer lessons for terrorism suspects jailed at Guantanamo Bay prison so that they can be reintroduced into a modern society when the president fulfills his campaign promise of releasing them. 

A south Florida newspaper reports that the U.S. military is actually setting up a sophisticated computer lab for the detainees—who already get phones and fast-food takeout—and providing them with high-tech laptop computers. The terrorism suspects will be taught how to send electronic mail and will receive language and basic user skills training to help them find jobs when they get released. 

Compliments of Uncle Sam, the costly program is part of the Obama Administration’s effort to persuade Americans and European allies that some detainees don’t represent a threat and can therefore resettle in their backyard. The effort seems to ignore several Pentagon reports revealing increases in the number of detainees who rejoined terrorist missions after being released.  

Earlier this year the Department of Defense disclosed that the number of Guantanamo prisoners—all suspected Middle Eastern terrorists—who have returned to “the fight” since their release from custody nearly doubled in a short time and a major newspaper reported that a one-time detainee became an Al Qaeda leader who masterminded a U.S. Embassy bombing after leaving Guantanamo.  

Yet President Obama signed an Executive Order to close Guantanamo Bay prison shortly after moving into the White House, although he has offered no specific plans to relocate the more dangerous prisoners. Nearly half of the 255 suspected terrorists imprisoned are Yemenis and defense officials say scores should never be released because they pose a serious threat the United States. 

Some will undoubtedly be repatriated under Obama’s new plan, which means they will go through a rehabilitation program similar to the Saudi rehab that the former detainee turned Al Qaeda leader (Said Ali al-Shihri) went through a few years ago. He ended up organizing a deadly bombing of the United States Embassy in Yemen’s capital and separate car bombings outside the American Embassy that killed more than a dozen people.  

Under Obama’s new plan to introduce detainees to modern society, that terrorist probably would have received a U.S. taxpayer-financed laptop and computer skill classes.