General Hoar, General Krulak Letter to Hartzler and Speier on Guantanamo

February 5, 2015

Dear Congresswomen Hartzler and Speier,

We represent a coalition of more than 50 retired general and admirals of the United States Armed Forces who have advocated the responsible closure of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. Last week we sent a letter to Senators John McCain and Jack Reed emphasizing the importance of their efforts to work toward closing Guantanamo. We write to you now to urge you to use the upcoming hearings of the House Armed Services Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee and other opportunities to work with your colleagues on the House Armed Service Committee to partner with the administration to further refine the plan and to energize the efforts to close Guantanamo.

Guantanamo does not serve America’s interests. We have consistently articulated how damaging the existence of the detention facility at Guantanamo has been and continues to be. It complicates our diplomacy with allies, especially with regard to counter-terrorism operations. Repressive governments use it to deflect criticism of their own policies by charging hypocrisy. Violent extremists use it as a recruiting tool, not to mention that detaining prisoners at Guantanamo is now costing the American taxpayers over $3.5 million per detainee per year.

We have always believed that our nation’s policies should adhere to the rule of law and that we are more secure when they do. It is past time that we close the prison and deny our enemies its value as a propaganda tool. We stand ready to assist in any way on this important issue for our country’s national security, and we applaud your work on this issue.

Semper Fidelis,

General Joseph P. Hoar, USMC (Ret.)

General Charles C. Krulak, USMC (Ret.)