Move America Forward Toured GITMO Camps;  Have Been Leading Opponents of Closure

Move America Forward (MAF), the nation’s largest grassroots pro-troop organization, today rebuked and condemned the decision to move a terrorist suspect detainee from the US Naval base at Guantanamo Bay to a federal prison in New York City.

Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani has been held at Guantanamo Bay since 2006 for his role in the Al Qaeda bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and faces 286 criminal charges including 224 charges of murder. He was flown to New York this morning.

“At a time when so many of our military men and women are risking life and limb to fight terrorists overseas, it sends entirely the wrong message for us to be moving detainees with American blood on their hands into our backyard.” Said Catherine Moy, the group’s executive Director.

Moy joined a delegation from the group that toured the American base at Cuba in December and received briefings on the detention facilities and practices. Since returning, the group has produced a TV ad opposing closure and warning of detainee transfers to the US, and engaged in an aggressive grassroots campaign to oppose the President’s intention to close the camps.

Many legal scholars have written extensively on concerns about the additional legal rights and avenues available to suspects on US soil, including broad access to the forgiving domestic civilian court system.

“To give terrorists captured on the battlefield extra opportunities to return to jihad puts Americans and our troops at risk both directly and by telegraphing a message of weakness and disarray to those who would do us harm” she continued.

“When 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was apprehended, he told his captors that he would talk to them after he got to New York and met his American lawyers.  Now it looks like he may get his wish. But this maniacal killer has had far too much to do with New York City already” king those who went on the Gitmo  trip available for interview comment for a unique perspective of this breaking controversy.

•  Melanie Morgan was for many years a talk radio host on KSFO in San Francisco. She has been highly involved with the pro-troop movement for several years, and is co-hosting a new radio show out of Washington D.C. which will be syndicated by Talk Radio Networks 

•  Debbie Lee is the Gold Star mother of Marc Alan Lee, the first Navy SEAL to be killed in action in Operation Iraqi Freedom.  She has a compelling personal story to tell and is constantly in demand for her frank sincerity and heartfelt dedication to America’s military men and women.

•  Kylie Williams was Miss Florida 2007 on a platform of realistic support for our troops and serves as Ambassador for Veterans’ Advocacy for the state of Florida.  Our recent trip to Gitmo was her second, as she had been there in 2007 in the course of her efforts to support US troops and raise morale.

•  Catherine Moy is Executive Director of Move America Forward and, with Melanie, co-author of the Amazon bestseller American Mourning.  She has won awards for her career in journalism and currently serves on the City Council of Fairfield CA, home of Travis Air Force Base.