to guantanamo, it was interesting. at one point, there were a couple of us in one of the detention areas, we'd been warned, now when we go through this door, do not talk because you won't be able to hear their interaction between each other if they know a voice that they're not familiar with is somewhere around here. and so we listened. there was laughing, i didn't understand what they were saying, kidding around, a lot of banter back and forth between the different units where they were being held. as we stood at the end of the hallway, someone with us said something that was heard by those on that hallway and immediately the banter, the cheerfulness, turned into, help, i'm being tortured, help. we were treated to cries for help and they didn't realize that we'd been hearing them kidding around, laughing and joking with each other until they heard that a new voice was on the floor and we were told that's because they know that there are different groups that come to check on amnesty international, different ones that

wanted to close guantanamo bay?alk about that anything else. [unintelligible] >> if you're going to give the answer, why did you ask a question? >> why did you say anything until you realize you might lose the election? >> i have never been for closing down guantanamo bay. i of men for trying terrorist in meant there -- in military tribunals. they've talked about trying ksm in new york that has not happened. i support that in guantanamo. you've been intellectually dishonest. when i said that, it was about chinese uighers. >> [unintelligible] >> i'm going answer the issue. >> let dr. paul respond. >> these are people that were being released by the united states, and the question was, do you want them in the united states? i said i did not want them in the united states. the bush administration said we're going to spend $250 billion and send them to the south pacific. >> i said that that was a waste of money as well. >> that is not in that speech. >> let him finish. >> he leaves out my sentence, if you cannot convict

this is the history of the american base in guantanamo. prior to the way we know it currently in regards to a holding area for terrorist suspects but rather a military base. and when you talk about that for a moment? >> it was part of a developing in perl and polls in american national life. the base itself was designed to be part of the projection of american identity and power in the early part of the previous century. and it was a bit of a precursor to what now is dozens and dozens of bases around the country that have and american identity or controlled by the united states. and that was designed partly in the interest of national security, and that's an ongoing concern today. >> the author stephen schwab, can you tell me a little bit about it? >> sure. steve is actually, for about 30 or more years, was an analyst in latin america for the cia. and so knows an awful lot about the region, including the caribbean and cuba. and we had a conversation with another conference many years ago about his work. he decided to pursue a dissertation

i think it makes a lot of sense to close guantanamo, so i opposed the reduction of that money.t was obviously going to be the pass, so it was the reduction or the ending of that funding in this year's budget. it was adopted by a voice vote. >> $245 million. >> and the entire amount was struck? >> it was part after larger -- yes, the entire amount for the prison was struck. it was part of a funding line which is larger than that, which the balance remains. >> if you are successful in conference to keep the funding for the alternate engine, are you concerned that the president will veto the bill just as secretary gates said. and the don't ask-don't tell legislation is in there. and are you concerned that it could jeopardize that specific step you took yesterday? and what do you think? do you think the president will veto something that has don't ask-don't tell in it? >> this is a huge bill. there are all kinds of items in this bill. this is a bill which fund, ee equips, trains our troops and takes care of them and their family. we added something in the try-care -- tri-care statu

their decisions in here, basically to make it more difficult to close guantanamo. decisions here relative to mandating troops to go to a particular location. there are decisions here on "don't ask, don't tell." there are other decisions that are important decisions. does it complicate my life to try to get the bill to the floor and complicate matters? of course it does. it is my hope we will be able to succeed. we have overcome major challenges before to get a defense bill. the reason we have overcome the challenges as with all of the difficult parts that we are focused on, 99% of this bill is agreed upon. that is what we must do for our troops, what we must do to succeed, wherever our troops are in harm's way, what we must do for their family, what we must do in terms of health care, in turn ptsd, what we must do in terms of acquisition reform. that is the heart of this matter. i know the focus is on items such as "don't ask, don't tell" or whether or not a prison in illinois should be opened or closed. i have views on each of these items that have been identified

[applause] we ordered the closure of the detention center at guantanamo bay, which had become a symbol of injustice and a rallying cry for terrorists, and we appreciate -- [applause] and we appreciate the support, difficult as it has been for you to take. -- to take, so many of you have provided in this effort. like you, president obama and i reject the false choice between safety and our ideals. we believe that of holding our principles only makes us stronger and that compromising them actually undermine their efforts in the broader struggle against violent extremism. what is their purpose? their purpose is to change what we value, change how we conduct ourselves. eight days after the september 11 attack, i told a group of a thousand university students in my country that they cannot allow the tragedy of 9/11 to and our way of life, because that is exactly what the terrorists sought -- the tragedy of 9/11 to end our way of life. the words not only fit the tenor of that time, but i think they have proven to be true, and they are no less true today. i do not need to tell the audience ab

guantanamo is a wise investment. it was built for good reason. let's use it for the purpose for which it was built rather than further endangering communities like new york or burdening them with the disorder and the massive expense that would accompany a terror trial. it is precisely because of potential dangers and difficulties like these that we established military commissions in the first place. and if we can't expect the very people who mastermind the 9/11 attacks to fall within the jurisdiction of these military commissions, then who can we? americans don't want guantanamo terrorists brought to the u.s., and they don't want the men who planned the 9/11 attacks on america to be tried in civilian courts, risking national security and civic disruption in the process. mr. president, on another subject, today i rise to introduce a bill that would renew sanctions against the burmese junta. as in years past, i'm joined in this effort b'nai phao*eu good friend senator feinstein, senators mccain, gregg and lieberman are original cosponsors of this

[applause] >> we ordered the closure of the detention center at guantanamo bay that has become a symbol of injustice and a rallying cry for terrorists. [applause] >> we appreciate the support, difficult as it has been, that you have provided in this effort. we did these things because like you cannot we reject the false choice between safety and ideals. we believe that upholding our principles only makes us stronger and by compromising them actually undermine our efforts in the broader struggle against violent extremism. their purpose is to change what we value cannot change how we conduct ourselves. eight days after the september 11, a tax, i told a group of -- after the september 11 attack, i told a group of thousands of university students in my country that they cannot allow the tragedy of 9/11 and our way of life because that is exactly what the terrorists sought. i told the we cannot prevail and the struggle by acting alone. those words have not only fit that time but i think they have proven to be true and there are no less true today. i do not need to tell this audience about eu

this has to do with the transferring both -- transferring from guantanamo.i hope our federal government and you have assurances from the country's that receive these people if they are detained or not? >> when we make these transfer decisions, we worked out in a dance security arrangements with the receiving nations so we have a sense of where they are, what steps will be put into place. >> or any of these transfers made under this administration return to terrorism? >> i have read reports but i cannot confirm that. >> let's say that one person did. does that give you pause about transferring every any bridging anybody from gitmo -- transferring anybody from gitmo? >> we put into place a ver comprehensive program that looked at the 240 people to go but it is not working if anybody that has been transferred does return to terrorism as you it knowledge might have been the case. it seems to me you would want to stop the program. >> i am confident that what we did by putting together law enforcement, our military people, our intelligence people and looking at th

. >> i would say on guantanamo bay, what for six months did your website said you wanted to close guantanamo bay? do not talked about chinese uighers. >> if you are given the answer for me, you are going to answer the question. >> why did you not say anything until it came out that you might lose an election over it? >> i have never been for closing down guantanamo bay. i have been for trying the terrorists and military tribunals. i think there is a chance we could try them down there. it may go back to guantanamo which is what i support. you have obfuscated and had been intellectually dishonest. when i was asked the question, it was about chinese uighers. >> there was no reference in that video about chinese uighers. it was on your own web site. >> i will answer the issue. >> about one year ago, i was asked about these chinese uighers. these are people being released by the united states. the question was do we want them in the u.s.. i said i did not particularly want them in the u.s. the bush administration said we will set -- we will spend too wanted the dollar million for 20 people. i sa

first, his campaign promises to close at guantanamo bay has not reduced the threat. in fact, those transferred to other countries can be and are released. former gitmo detainees often return to terrorism. trine them and civilian courts is a dangerous proposal with no legal precedent. once in the u.s., the terrorists can argue for additional constitutional rights, making a harder to obtain convictions. treating terrorists like common criminals make america less safe. giving them the right to remain silent limits our ability to interrogate them. according to, news to you recently said you now want to work with congress to limit terrorist miranda writes. that is surprising since it is this a mission that has insisted on extending constitutional rights to them in the first place. fourth, the opposition to real id weakens national circuit. the administration wants to repeal the law which was enacted after 9/11. it would give terrorists cover to plotting carry out attacks inside the u.s. fifth, the push for amnesty make america less safe. the rest of the times square bombe

>> an individual who is an alien combatant ought to be sent to guantanamo.ou should not be giving miranda rights to people who have valid, important information that can be used, and this is an incredible mistake the obama administration is making. the boys are they a citizen or not? if they are a citizen, yes, and if they are foreign combatant and picked up off the battlefield, i don't expect a private to be raised - reading osama bin laden his miranda rights. or the christmas day bomber ould not have parental rights given to him. he was not an american citizen. the new york timesomber -- the times square bomber is a citizen and so was appropriate to give him his miranda rights. i personally hope if he is convicted, he is also accused of treason. we need to give the government more options to take someone who has demonstrated that they are in league with a foreign terrorist organization, to be tried in military tribunal and send to guantanamo. >> if you jumped in on mine, i'm quantitate 10 seconds to get the information -- you get the permission from the ti

this has to do with the transferring both -- transferring from guantanamo. i hope our federal government and you have assurances from the country's that receive these people if they are detained or not? >> when we make these transfer decisions, we worked out in a dance security arrangements with the receiving nations so we have a sense of where they are, what steps will be put into place. >> or any of these transfers made under this administration return to terrorism? >> i have read reports but i cannot confirm that. >> let's say that one person did. does that give you pause about transferring every any bridging anybody from gitmo -- transferring anybody from gitmo? >> we put into place a very comprehensive program that looked at the 240 people to go but it is not working if anybody that has been transferred does return to terrorism as you it knowledge might have been the case. it seems to me you would want to stop the program. >> i am confident that what we did by putting together law enforcement, our military people, our intelligence people and looking at

states welcomes the government of the maldives reaffirmation it looked the 36 of detainees from guantanamo bay. the united states is grateful to all countries for their efforts to close the facility. since 2009, the united states has transferred 59 detainees to 24 different destinations. 3553 in transfers to third countries. -- 35 have been in transfers to third countries. they have now called on the iaea to convey the results of this arrangement to the iaea. the united states continues to have concerns about the arrangement, but the joint declaration does not address the core concerns of the international community. iran remains in defiance of five security council resolutions, including its own willingness to suspend enrichment operations. today iran reaffirmed that it plans to continue to enrich uranium to 20% despite the fact that if previously justified the increase in richmond for the research reactor. public statements suggest the deal is unrelated to its ongoing enrichment activities. they are linked. >> to begin with, the agreement that is said to have been reached describes the 1

he's being held at guantanamo bay.eni accused with coordinating the 9/11 attack, he's also in guantanamo bay right now. ramzi yousef was the mastermind of the 1993 world trade center bombing. he was arrested in pakistan two years later, brought to the united states, he was convicted first for an airline bombing and then for the new york attack. he's serving life without parole. >>> we're going to have a lot more on the breaking news coming up, but there's other stories we're monitoring as well, including four stories of steel and concrete. it's the best hope right now for minimizing the disaster in the gulf of mexico. we're going to show you how this giant containment camp works. >>> plus, we have new details of a massive recall of children's over-the-counter medicine. what government inspectors found inside the manufacturing plant. stand by for that. nts fill your household, purina tidy cats scoop helps neutralize odors in multiple cat homes... keeping your house smelling like it should. purina tidy cats scoop. keep y

the next article is in the politico on guantanamo. president barack obama's hopes of closing guantanamo bay prison is slipping further away. market heights, illinois. david on the republican line. what do you think about rand paul's comments? caller: i think they're good and they were switched around. i'm a tea party coordinator from illinois. i think the tea party, we are winning these elections, these primaries, all over the countries. the racist rhetoric is starting to become more and more louder. i am not going to make any judgment on anybody, but all of the comments that, in are from the democrats and i guess you say the african american people, they keep coming -- calling in with a racist comments. we have a $100,000 promotion going on for anybody to provide any photos or audio of any racist things from tea party members and it is on our website -- $100,000. host: what do you do as a tea party coordinator and how did you get that position? caller: i have just been working for years trying to -- there is no difference between r a

. >> i think it is going to be a fundamental question as we consider the plans for detainees at guantanamo being closed. what do you do with people who might not be able to be tried, but are judged through a proper, due process panel to be a danger to national security and/or enemy combatants? can they continue to be held without trial? it is my understanding that all laws of war permit this. this is an asymmetric war. i was curious whether you had any view on that. clearly, you do not. >> as i indicated, understanding is that is indeed what the case held -- my understanding is that is indeed what that case held. the president has made it clear that he is keeping the country safe -- keeping the country say it is his first priority. >> thank you. -- keeping the country safe is his first priority. >> thank you. >> adding disney's to be discussed openly -- i think this needs to be discussed openly. under criminal law, there is no process to hold someone without trial indefinitely. >> i do agree. >> if you had a statute that would allow someone to be held forever without a trial, that would no

debate whether they should have the ksm's trial in new york city is misplaced, i think debate around guantanamomisplaced. we need to understand that these are not criminals. i don't believe we should treat them as criminals. i did both some prosecution work and i was defense attorney, i never met a criminal that wanted to be caught and never met a criminal that was prepared to blow themselves up in order to advance their mission. i think we have to get away from the rhetoric. i, for one, would love to see a special court system built to deal with what i consider to be a global challenge that we are going to be dealing with in the years ahead. i think generally, i think we should pay a lot more attention to what the coast guard is doing, one off from what we are doing here but this is an agency that is critical in so many different ways, as well as the maritime defense. i think they are underresourced and underfunded. i could give you a long list but i think there is a lot of work that needs to be done and i think this administration could be -- should try to shape as it looks at its budget in r

facility at guantanamo bay. he wants to repeal the patriot act. he wants to abolish the department of education and he wants to end subsidiaries for farmers. does he carry his political philosophy too far? should he tone it down; particularly, in a campaign for the u.s. senate? >> well, i won't speak to each one of rand paul's positions because no candidate is going to be the ideal or the perfect candidate in any voter's mind. rand paul is not a perfect, always to be agreed with candidate. nobody is. but rand paul is a libertarian. he's clear in his libertarian leanings. he asks questions about implications as it applies to our constitution, our economy, our society when a law is proposed and a law is enacted. i think that more of those who serve in the senate, and rand we anticipate will be serving in the senate, should ask questions about the constitutionality of the policies proposed. i think more questions should be asked as to the impacts. rand isn't going to be shy by asking the questions. >> chris: let's turn to another subject. millions of

we have a perfectly acceptable detention facility in guantanamo bay. we do not need to bring terrorists to the united states. we do not need to try them in civilian courts. we need an administration that understands that what prompts them to admit -- to commit these acts are not psychological problems. it is because they have an ideology, radicalism, extremism that is being taught and permeating this country and exposing us to those kinds of terrorist attacks. we need to understand what the threats are in this country and confront terrorism in the same way our predecessors dealt with the challenges they faced in their generation. there are not any easy answers, but there are simple answers. president reagan once said that the problem with our liberal friends is not that they are ignorant. if you think about the vision that they have for the country and how that contrasts with what we present to the american people as we head into the midterm elections, it could not be more striking. the differences could not be more clear. elections are about differenc

has been wounded and damaged and is trying to make some changes in that area shutting down the guantanamo bay prison, i think, is one example. >> stef, do you want to add anything? >> i would only add this, having lived in england since 2001 teaching at cambridge, we found after george bush invaded iraq, that we had to wear a helmet if we went to a dinner party. [laughter] >> it's pretty clear we would come away at the end of the evening with dents in it. since obama has been elected there is this sense that america is effectively reintroducing itself to europe at least. it's obviously not going all that smoothly. but it is a very different attitude. and you can now go to dinner without a helmet. [laughter] >> first row over. >> doug mcpherson representing myself. would it help to consider a mercantilist consideration for china. you can tie it back to england to the 18th and 19th centuries? and perhaps get guidance as to what they'll be doing next? >> this is a very good point. i try to address this in my book "the beijing consensus" by pointing out that we don't have clean hands on this.

over and over again, and since it is very difficult to find anyone who agrees with the plan to try guantanamo it not make sense for the administration to submit a revised budget to support the coast guard using those funds? >> i would be happy to transmit that message to the white house. >> sounds like the beginning of a meeting of minds. i hope. senator landrieu. >> madam secretary, could i comment -- could you comment on a letter that i understand you received about a question we ask about the in addition to fulfill their obligations. a copy of that letter is in public record. would you comment on your understanding about what they wrote, which is pretty clear? we are prepared, they say, to pay $75 million on these claims and will not seek reimbursement from the u.s. government or from the trust fund. we reserve our right to recover from other parties that may be responsible. you have received this letter. what is your understanding of their response? >> my understanding is that they are going to pay all of the legitimate claims. i think they mean non-fraudulent claims. and without respect

obviously some he di not fulfil, like closing guantanamo bay by january 1. it is still open.nd there are many others. but if you look at it in total -- politifact, a political -- pulitzer prize-winning website and they assessed all of his promises and he either fulfilled or made progress on close to 400 of them by the end of his first year. you can say, well, the 100 he did not are the ones i care about. but if you are interested where he did suced in the fulfilling the promises and where he fell short, i do have that in "the promise." host: chicago, larry, republican. caller: two questions. one is for the author of him and one for c-span. my question for c-span is -- did they loo into michelle obama's appearances or interviews with jesse jackson's daughter on a radio station in chicago -- chicago, a black radio station, before the election? did they look into that at all? for the offer, on rahm emanuel, did rahm emanuel served in the israeli army and not the american army and? guest: i am not sure what he is talking about in terms of the interview with santita jackson. she i

>> an individual who is an alien combatant ought to be sent to guantanamo.e giving miranda rights to people who have valid, important information that can be used, and this is an incredible mistake the obama administration is making. the boys are they a citizen or not? if they are a citizen, yes, and if they are foreign combatant and picked up off the battlefield, i don't expect a private to be raised -- reading ama bin laden his miranda rights. or the christmas day bomber should not have parental rights given to him. he was not an american citizen. the new york times bomber -- the times square bomber is a citizen and so was appropriate to give him his miranda rights. i personally hope if he is convicted, he is also accused of treason. we need to give the government more options to take someone who has demonstrated that ty are in league wh a foreign terrorist organization, to be tried in military tribunal and send to guantanamo. >> if you jumped in on mine, i'm quantitate 10 seconds to get the information -- you get the permission from the times square suspe

we're disappointed that the bill does not prohibit the transfer of guantanamo bay detainees to u.s. soil. finally, for the last eight years, we've asked our men and women of the armed forces and their families to make repeated sacrifices while serving this nation. they have unhesitatingly and selflessly responded in a magnificent manner, without hesitation, putting mission and nation ahead of self and family. now the proponents of repealing don't ask, don't tell want to rush a vote to the floor that disrupts the processhat was put in place earlier this year to give the troops the opportunity to make their view known on this most important issue. after making the continuous sacrifice of fighting two yes over the course of eight years, the -- the two wars over e course of eight years, the men and women of our military deserve to be heard. congress acting first is the equivalent to turninto our men and women in uniform and their families and saying, your opinion, your views do not count. yesterday, i spoke to and received letters from all four service chiefs. i asked the copies of thos

on guantanamo, they tried to close it and realized that it wasn't that easy. the question of the proper venue for trials, they announced they would try the mastermind khalid sheikh mohammed in new york city, then realized maybe that wasn't a good idea. when it came to the christmas day bomber, they treated him like a common criminal and realizrealized that wouldn't bee best route either. now they're wondering outloud if they should revisit their approach to administering miranda warnings. let's make it easy for the attorney general, every terrorist -- every single one of them, every single terrorist should be treated like one. in the first months of the administration the president signed executive orders ending the c.i.a.'s terrorist program and closing guantanamo and essentially putting the attorney general in the war on terror. more than a year after the executive orders were signed and after several failed attacks on the homeland, the administration finally -- finally seems to realize that the war on terror is not a simple matter of law enforcement. a clea

over and over again, and since it is very difficult to find anyone who agrees with the plan to try guantanamobay detainees in major cities, does it not make sense for the administration to submit a revised budget to support the coast guard using those funds? >> i would be happy to transmit that message to the white house. >> sounds like the beginning of a meeting of minds. i hope. senator landrieu. >> madam secretary, could i comment -- could you comment on a letter that i understand you received about a question we ask about the in addition to fulfill their obligations. a copy of that letter is in public record. would you comment on your understanding about what they wrote, which is pretty clear? we are prepared, they say, to pay $75 million on these claims and will not seek reimbursement from the u.s. government or from the trust fund. we reserve our right to recover from other parties that may be responsible. you have received this letter. what is your understanding of their response? >> my understanding is that they are going to pay all of the legitimate claims. i think they mean non-frau

this has to do with the treasury of individuals from guantÁnamo bay to other countries.doing no, not asking you about specifics or individuals, but i hope our federal government, do you have assurances from these countries that we have seen these transfers that we know where these individuals are, do we know whether they remained in those countries are being detained or not? >> when we make the transfer decisions, we work out an advanced security arrangements with the receiving nations, and so that we have a sense of where they are, what steps are going to be taking place to monitor their activity. >> have any of these transfer is made under this administration return to terrorism? >> i have read reports of that. >> and if so -- >> but i cannot confirm that. >> was just a that one person dead, and that could well be the case. doesn't that give you posit about transferring anyone from gitmo to foreign countries, if even one person goes back to the battlefield, returns to terrorism and might kill innocent americans, doesn't that give you pause about the whole program? >> w

an individual who is an alien combatants ought to be sent to guantanamo bay.hey should not begin in reference to people who have important information that can be used. but this is an incredible mistake the obama administration is making. >> are they a citizen or not? if they are, yes. if they are a form combatant and picked up off of the battlefield, i do not expect a private first class to being reading them of their miranda rights. >> the christmassy bomber should not have miranda rights given to him. he is not a citizen. he qualifies as an enemy combat. the "new york times" -- the new york times square bomber is a citizen and it should be read his miranda rights. we should give the government more options to be tried in military tribunals and sent to guantanamo bay. >> since a jump in on line, i will take 10 seconds to say you get the information from the times square suspect before you give him the miranda rights. if you reverse that, you the opportunity to get valuable information. we have to take a break -- >> we have to take a break. we will be right b

there are other issues referring to guantanamo bay, the prchase of the illinois prison and detention of prisoners but we are fortunate this morning to have also the chair of the judiciary committee and i know he will have his own particular questions, and then also someone who's been very vigorous in the area of the justice department, senator leahy. i'm going to ask you now that i have unanimous consent formy full record going -- or my full statement going into the record and attorney to the attorney general. >> good morning, chairwoman mikulski. senator leahy a senator lautenberg. thank you for the opportity to discuss the president's fiscal year 2011 budget for the department of justice and provide an update on the progress, its key priorities and also our future plans. i appreciate your recognition of the department's critical mission and look forward to your continued partnership and support. now, when i appeared before this subcmittee last may, i set forth several goals for the department. to protect our nation's security, to reinvigorate the department's traditional missions a

strip citizenship and move them to guantanamo. ending a decades-old law. "i am now putting together legislation to emphasize that if any u.s. citizen is found to be participating in foreign terrorist organizations that would be deprived of their citizenship rights." that is from "politico pure " shocked, republican caller -- politico." charles, republican line. caller: when you start taking citizens and tried to look for ways to turn them into terrorists, it is dangerous. several -- civil liberal media has lumped the footage together saying it could be a right-wing nut. since the left is trying to put them all together, putting the right wing citizens of america in with terrorists, we need to be careful to make sure that we have clear laws and not just call them terrorists. host: "gop leaders expressed outrage." ron, democratic and collar. -- democratic caller. what are your thoughts? caller: the entire thing is something that republicans are trying to cook up for an issue. they're grasping at straws. the only thing they have left is the security issue. na

things such as regarding the transfer of detainees at guantanamo bay. the use of alternative sources of fuel at d.o.d. excessive union activity on official time of the department of defense. and gun rights for the 40,000 active and reserve members of our military who reside in washington, d.c. however, the rules committee did make in order an amendment with which i have strong reservations. today should be about what's best for the defense of our nation and what's best for our brave men and women in uniform. however, it's clear that today, mr. speaker, many in this body intend tuse our military as a means to placate a liberal political constituency rather than taking the time to weigh the input of 2.5 million men and women and their families who wear the uniform, including the family of lieutenant tyler brown, who gave his life for his country in iraq almost six years ago. today would be his2nd birthday. mr. spear, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff a the secretary of defense have asked congress to delay votingon don't-ask, don't-tell repeal unti

no matter what we do, they will find the reason to want to say -- is just like guantanamo. there will still have a reason to attack us. guest: i agree on that. this administration has been more aggressive in terms of hunting down terrorists on the pakistan side of the border and targeting them with precision. in doing everything they can to mitigate the collateral damage to civilians and that is part of the ability to utilize this technology in terms of the ordnance and utilizing these platforms in these drones. host: you think the united states should continue with this strategy. guest: absolutely. host: and the from knoxville. dy from not so. caller: it seems to me that we have our own corruption here in the united states in the form of -- public health care at the health and human service admits to one of his 7 $5 billion a year in losses -- $175 billion in losses. there was testimony within the last three weeks where but be individual use the word "fraud" his testimony. i think maybe for the first time. that was a study that said the waste could be as much as 50 cents.

obviously some he did not fulfil, like closing guantanamo bay by january 1. it is still open. and there are many others. but if you look at it in total -- politifact, a political -- pulitzer prize-winning website and they assessed all of his promises and he either fulfilled or made progress on close to 400 of them by the end of his first year. you can say, well, the 100 he did not are the ones i care about. but if you are interested where he did succeed in the fulfilling the promises and where he fell short, i do have that in "the promise." host: chicago, larry, republican. caller: two questions. one is for the author of him and one for c-span. my question for c-span is -- did they look into michelle obama's appearances or interviews with jesse jackson's daughter on a radio station in chicago -- chicago, a black radio station, before the election? did they look into that at all? for the offer, on rahm emanu, did rahm emanuel served in the israeli army and not the american army and? guest: i am not sure what he is talking about in terms of the interview with santita jackson. sh

there are other issues referring guantanamo bay, the purchase of the illinois prison and detention of prisoners but we are fortunate this morning to have also the chair of the judiciary committee and i know he will have his own particular questions, and then also someone who's been very vigorous in the area of the justice department, senator leahy. i'm going to ask you now that i have unanimous consent for my full record going -- or my ful statement going into the record and attoey to theattorney general. >> good morning, chairwoman mikulski. senator leahy and senator lautenberg. thank you for the opportunity to discuss the president's fiscal year 2011 budget for the department of justice and provide an update on the progress, its key priorities and also our future plans. i appreciate your recognition of the department's critical mission and look forward to your continued partnership and support. now, when i appeared before this subcommittee lt may, i set forth several goals for the department. to protect our nation's security, to reinvigorate the department's traditional missions and

efforts to close the guantanamo bay detention facility. the united states has transfered 59 detainees. many have been tornadoes fierce to third countries. finally you have seen the statement from the white house regarding raun. in the statement the white house acknowledged statements made pie turkey and brazil and calling upon the iaea to convey the results of this arrangement to them. that said, the united states continues to have concerns about the arrangement. the joint declaration does not address the core concerns of the international community. iran remains in defines of five u.n. security council ress resolutions-in colluding its-in willingness to suspend enrichment operations. iran has said they planned to enrich uranium 20%. public statements today suggest that the t t.r.r. deal is unrelated to its ongoing enrichment operations but they are linked. >> to begin with the agreement that is said to have been reached, it describes the 1,200 kill grams that would theoretically be transferred to it turkey, that figure, however, referred

i might be working on guantanamo-related issues. it is just a range of different issues. we have a piece of small business legislation we're trying to moves. it is really a diverse mix of issues. a lot of it is regulatory. i work on a lot of issues related to the other agencies and what their priorities are. typically we get issues when they are either very complicated or messy or there is a big dispute. we're working to try to resolve them, advance the president's agenda, making sure we're working through the different challenges. a lot of it is cleanup of problems in dealing with unforeseen issues. a lot of it is trying to push the agenda. >> how did you meet and get involved in this campaign? >> i first heard about him from a friend of mine who i worked with in the clinton administration. he called me one day at the blue and said there is this guy, barack obama's, who is writing course senatrun in for senate i. he said i and i am going to quit my job and their run for him. i said, are you insane? that makes no sense whatsoever. he said at he is so compelling. he went o

now, we've had quite a number of people who have been released from guantanamo who have been captured the process, who have returned to the combat and attack us. so it's clear that under hamdi, the administration has the authority to detain the times square terror suspect as an unprivileged enemy combatant if he can be linked to our terrorist enemies within the definitions of the military commissions act. but i want to be clear, this is a distinction here, that this suspect, unlike the christmas day bomber and the 9/11 plotters, cannot be tried -- cannot be tried, can be detained but not tried -- via military commission under current law. in the previous conflicts, military commissions were used to try civilians who took up arms against the united states in ways that violated the rules against rules of war. for example, classic court case: herbert hopt was one of the nazi saboteurs who was prosecuted via military commission after plotting to blow up targets within the united states in the early months of world war ii. he was a naturalized u.s. citizen and the united states supreme cou

obviously some he did not fulfil, like closing guantanamo bay by january 1. it is still open. and there are many others. but if you look at it in total -- politifact, a political -- pulitzer prize-winning website and they assessed all of his promises and he either fulfilled or made progress on close to 400 of them by the end of his first year. you can say, well, the 100 he did not are the ones i care about. but if you are interested where he did succeed in the fulfilling the promises and where he fell short, i do have that in "the promise." host: chicago, larry, republican. caller: two questions. one is for the author of him and one for c-span. my question for c-span is- did they look into michelle obama's appearances or interviews with jesse jackson's daughter on a radio station in chicago -- chicago, a black radio station, before the election? did they look into that at all? for the offer, on rahm emanuel, did rahm emanuel served in the israeli army and not the americanrmy and? guest: i am not sure what he is talking about in terms of the interview with santita jackson. she

it denies all funding for guantanamo bay detainee's. >> if i am not mistaken, the committee asked for report on and some ideas on exactly how a facility might be structured. that report and details will be going on to congress. i will say that i can check anytime table. i will say that we have always maintained that we need increased prison facilities. i think the law prevents the department of defense, but not the department of justice, from purchasing such facilities. >> is there anything that in the process of dealing with this you have found in the 1990 law that limits the federal government's authority in which you wish it did not? >> not that i am aware of. we sent up structures to change liability. that was in order to ensure a disaster of this magnitude -- the economic damages that are going to be in, that our citizens will suffer through are adequately compensated even if they are beyond the $75 million threshold the law currently has. >> with the law does not agree limitations -- >> i will look through it and see if there is anything in there. >> we have talked a lot about t

[applause] >> we ordered the closure of the detention center at guantanamo bay that has become a symbol of injustice and a rallying cry for terrorists. [applause] >> we appreciate the support, difficult as it has been, that you have provided in this effort. we did these things because like you cannot we reject the false choice between safety and ideals. we believe that upholding our principles only makes us stronger and by compromising them actually undermine our efforts in the broader struggle against violent extremism. their purpose is to change what we value cannot change how we conduct ourselves. eight days after the september 11, a tax, i told a group of thousands of university students in my country that they cannot allow the tragedy of 9/11 and our way of life because that is exactly what the terrorists sought. i told the we cannot prevail and the struggle by acting alone. those words have not only fit that time but i think they have proven to be true and there are no less true today. i do not need to tell this audience about europe's proud tradition of protecting citizens. a com

[applause] >> we ordered the closure of the detention center at guantÁnamo bay which had become a symboltice and a rallying cry for terrorist. and we appreciate -- [applause] >> and we appreciate the support, ethical as it has been for you today, so many of you, have provided in this effort. we did these things because, like you, president obama and i reject the false choice between safety and our ideals. we believe that upholding our principal only makes us stronger, and that compromising them than actually undermines our effort and the broader struggle against violent extremism. for what is their purpose? their purpose is to change what we value. change how we conduct ourselves. eight days after the september 11 attack, i told a group of thousands of university students in my country that they cannot allow tragedy of 9/11 to end our way of life, because that's exactly what the terrorists saw. i also told them america cannot prevail in the struggle by acting alone. those words have not only -- not only fit the tenor of that time, but i think they have proven to be true. and they are no