SC Attorney General McMaster

In response to a request that he take action against the state getting terror detainees, Attorney General McMaster said, “Closing the terrorist facility at Guantanamo Bay and transferring dangerous detainees anywhere in the continental United States would be a huge mistake. He says “As South Carolina’s attorney general and as an American citizen, I will do everything I can to help prevent this potential disaster.”

He adds: “But I can’t understand why anyone would be surprised by the news. Barack Obama announced his plans to close Guantanamo Bay during the presidential campaign. It hasn’t exactly been a secret.”

McMaster shifts the onus to the state’s congressional delegation. “Congress should have taken action on this issue long ago. National security is a federal issue. The United States Congress is the branch of government with the jurisdiction and the legal authority to stop the president from making unwise decisions that threaten the security of our nation.

“I urge our state’s congressional delegation to take decisive action. They should seek an immediate Act of Congress to stop President Obama from transferring Guantanamo Bay terrorists to South Carolina or to any other state on the American mainland,” says McMaster.

Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer is taking a stand against terror suspects being sent to South Carolina for trial. This week, Congress was briefed that detainees might be sent from Guantanamo Bay in Cuba to U.S. locations. One of those is Charleston’s Navy brig.

Bauer, SC House Speaker Bobby Harrell, Congressman Henry Brown and Gresham Barrett Monday released statements against this action. Bauer is asking his gubernatorial opponent, State Attorney General Henry McMaster to do something about it.

“For Washington to be talking about bringing those folks to South Carolina concerns me and a lot of people in South Carolina. So I went to the most logical person. Some people said why would you go to him when he is an opponent in a gubernatorial election? Well, this is bigger than politics. It’s about what’s right and wrong and good for South Carolinians,” says Bauer.

The Lt. Governor says he has teamed up with the Attorney General before on issues against the federal government. This is a case of safety and economic hardship, says Bauer.

“To bring these people to U.S. soil means they get treated as any U.S. citizen will. We’ll be paying for their defense. Here are people who are totally against our form of society, yet we’ll give them the same privileges that you would give a U.S. citizen, ” says Bauer.