U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio scolded the Biden administration for yet another unforced policy error.
The Florida Republican asserted that President Joe Biden’s national security team had imperiled America by releasing the so-called “20th hijacker” from the federal prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last month approved the release of terrorist Mohammad Ahmad al-Qahtani, who had been held at Gitmo since U.S. forces captured him on the battlefield of Afghanistan, according to the Daily Mail.
The Mail reported that al-Qahtani, a Saudi, was detained at the Orlando airport in August 2001 by U.S. immigration officials who became suspicious of why he wanted to enter the country.
He was sent home. U.S. authorities later learned that al-Qahtani was slated to be picked up in Orlando by 9/11 ringleader Mohamed Atta. He was captured in Afghanistan later in 2001.
Were it not for those alert immigration officials in Orlando, al-Qahtani would have been the 16th Saudi national of the hijackers who murdered nearly 3,000 Americans in the worst attack on U.S soil.
Al-Qahtani’s lawyers and supporters maintain he was mentally ill and subsequently tortured while in U.S. custody. The alleged abuse by U.S. officials was cited as the reason he could not stand trial.
The Pentagon announced his release on Monday. In that unattributed statement, the Defense Department cited a review board’s recommendation that al-Qahtani’s detention “was no longer necessary to protect against a continuing significant threat to the national security of the United States.”
“The United States appreciates the willingness of Saudi Arabia and other partners to support ongoing U.S. efforts toward a deliberate and thorough process focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing of the Guantanamo Bay facility,” the Pentagon said.
The Biden administration’s move comes as the government is asking the Saudis to rev up oil production in an effort to lower gas prices.
Sen. Rubio, however, was angry about freeing a terrorist.
“Al-Qahtani is a terrorist who made it his life goal to kill Americans. I believe he remains committed to jihad and the destruction of the United States,” Rubio said in a statement on Monday.
“Now, because of the Biden Administration’s misguided policies, he has the opportunity to once again return to the battlefield. The decision to transfer al-Qahtani is not simply a lapse in judgment, it is a massive error which poses a serious risk to our national security and the security of our allies.”
Rubio joined fellow Republican Sens. James Inhofe of Oklahoma and Jim Risch of Idaho in petitioning President Joe Biden to not release al-Qahtani.
In a March 1 letter to Biden, they wrote, “We urge you to immediately reverse this decision as we believe this detainee continues to pose serious threats to U.S. national security.”
“He is a devout jihadist who committed his life to killing Americans. We are concerned that that he may try to resume terrorist activity once released from U.S. custody,” the senators added.
“The individuals remaining at Guantanamo are some of the most dangerous terrorists in the world and have dedicated their lives to attacking Americans and our allies. As such, they should not be given the opportunity to return to the battlefield in any role.”
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