Dear Friends,

I wanted to make you aware of an issue on which I have been working for several weeks. President Obama issued an executive order in January ordering the prison facility housing terrorist detainees at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to be closed by the end of 2009. Since then, the Justice Department has been considering the disposition of the detainees, including transfer, release or trial. One possibility being raised is transferring some detainees to the jail and federal courthouse in Alexandria.

On March 13 and again on April 23 I sent letters to Attorney General Eric Holder asking numerous questions on how the detainees will be transferred, housed and tried when Guantanamo Bay is closed. I also questioned the attorney general at a hearing before the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations subcommittee on which I serve.

I was especially alarmed to read recent reports indicating that up to 17 ethnic Chinese Uyghurs could be released in the U.S., possibly in McLean. These individuals were apprehended at terrorist training camps in Afghanistan and would pose a serious security threat. I wrote to President Obama asking him to declassify the documents detailing the backgrounds of the Chinese Uyghurs and any other detainee being transferred to the U.S.

I also have asked for briefings from career employees at the FBI, CIA, and Department of Homeland Security and have been told by each agency that the attorney general will not allow them to meet with me. What is the attorney general hiding?

This is not the transparency and accountability the president promised, nor is it the open and constructive relationship he claims to want with Congress. This is not change. This is an administration intent on keeping Congress and the American people in the dark about critically important national security issues.

For more information including my letters to Attorney General Holder, Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano and President Obama, please visit my Web site.

Best wishes.
Frank Wolf