Gitmo Prisoners Subject of Town Hall

There's some strong opposition to a proposal to bring about 150 Guantanamo Bay prisoners to a facility in Standish. Monday evening, they let their voices be heard at a town hall meeting in Rochester Hills.

They are considered some of the most dangerous terrorists in the world. Monday at Rochester Hills High School, people got a chance to hear exactly what it could mean if they came to Standish.

"These are the superstars of the terrorist world. These are people who have an international reputation, the ones who engineered 9-11," said retired Army Lieutenant Gordon Cucullu.

January 1, 2010 is the president's deadline to close Guantanamo Bay. A correctional facility in Standish has become the location the government says it could send terrorists, but in a town hall style forum, experts are warning people about the risks.

"We make the mistake of thinking that these people want to break out. They don't really want to break out, nor do their friends on the outside necessarily want to facilitate an escape. What they want to do is try to have some sort of major media moment, which would be a terrorist act of the kind of capturing a school, capturing a hospital, capturing a church full of people," Cucullu said.

"By bringing them here, the various groups say... they're eligible... under American civilian penal law, for visitation, for... mass services," said terrorism expert Dr. Peter Leitner.

A prison guard tells FOX 2 that a staff of 300 could lose their jobs and be replaced by federal agents and guards. Beyond that, there are the high profile names, such as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Ramzi Binalshibh, Abu Faraj al-Libbi, and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri. Three of them helped plan 9-11. The other is the mastermind of the bombing on the U.S.S. Cole.

So far, the government has not finalized moving the detainees to Standish or given a timeline of how soon they come be sent there.

In the audience, we heard varying opinions critical of Gitmo and the proposed move.

"I do think they deserve due process of legislation and laws," said Adam Childress.

"I think our country's in the wrong direction, and I think this is going to be very bad for Standish," said one woman.

Speakers said there is a lot more work to be done to put a stop to the detainees coming to Michigan. They plan to reach out to the communities and also local leaders to make that happen.