[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 84 (Wednesday, June 22, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H4901]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   GUANTANAMO BAY PRISONERS EAT WELL

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, pancakes with syrup, whole wheat bagels, 
scrambled eggs. That is not what I had for breakfast this morning, but 
there is a good chance that the terrorist prisoners at Guantanamo Bay 
were eating this morning. And it is not something that prisoners held 
by the Nazis, the Soviets, Pol Pot, or any other despot would eat.
  Yet some on the other side of the aisle have advocated closure of the 
prison at Guantanamo Bay. The prison there has held 800 suspected al 
Qaeda and Taliban terrorists; 235 have already been released; 61 are 
awaiting release or transfer.
  The information shared by these prisoners has saved countless lives 
here and around the world. We go to great lengths to ensure proper 
treatment of detainees. In addition to good meals, we take care to 
offer the freedom of worship freely, like supplying copies of the Koran 
and prayer rugs. Each person is treated according to the Geneva 
Convention, though none of these prisoners meets the qualifications of 
soldiers under that treaty.
  The left is content to criticize and demagogue, but Gitmo is a part 
of the war on terror. And as long as it stands, the soldiers there will 
be treated properly. That is more than I can say for dozens of 
prisoners executed by al Qaeda in the past.

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