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Guantanamo Bay Quotes

A facility that split opinion.

Guantanamo Bay quotes here present both sides of a long-running argument: some voices call the facility essential to national security, others tie its continued operation to broader foreign policy failures. See the same tension explored in our Debate quotes.

If people around the world knew how well people at Guantanamo Bay are treating prisoners, they would not fall prey to the accusations that some in our Chamber are making. They are all receiving judicial review.

Quotes by Robin Hayes

We will never win this war until we understand the effect that Guantanamo Bay has had on the overall war effort. And we'll never get the support of the American people if we can't prove to them that these folks...

Quotes by Lindsey Graham

Since January 2002, when the United States began detaining at Guantanamo Bay enemy combatants captured in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other fronts in the war on terror, critics have complained of human rights abuses.

Quotes by Linda Chavez

With the NDAA, his failure to close Guantanamo Bay and the ramping use of drones, President Obama looks suspiciously like President Bush, a man on a quest for American Empire.

Quotes by Justin Sane

Debate Quotes

As I detail in my new book: 'Hard Measures, How Aggressive CIA Actions After 9/11 Saved American Lives,' there are many myths surrounding the detention of a relatively small number of top terrorists at CIA-run 'black sites' from 2002 until...

Quotes by Jose Rodriguez

Second, the facility at Guantanamo Bay is necessary to national security.

Quotes by Jeff Miller

It troubled me that we had these reports of torture of detainees, we had people jailed at Guantanamo Bay who couldn't even talk to their lawyers and couldn't see the evidence against them - sort of fundamental bedrock civil liberties...

Quotes by Erik Larson

The overwhelming majority of Coloradans don't want Guantanamo Bay detainees in the United States or Colorado.

Quotes by Cory Gardner

This isn't a Republican issue. This isn't a Democrat issue. This is something that both parties and people around the country have agreed to. They don't want Guantanamo Bay detainees in the United States.

Quotes by Cory Gardner

Detention Quotes

Many of the vicious criminals held there have been caught on the battlefield fighting against American troops and shutting down Guantanamo Bay would just require the military to move them elsewhere.

Quotes by Bill Shuster

As of September 2012, 168 out of the 602 released Guantanamo Bay detainees are suspected of returning to terrorism. So, is this a winning scenario for the United States? Of course not.

Quotes by Ben Shapiro

Frequently Asked Questions

What do these Guantanamo Bay quotes focus on?
They present arguments on both sides of the facility's continued operation, from national security necessity to criticism of the broader war effort. The quotes are presented as historical record, not endorsement.
Do any quotes compare Obama and Bush on this issue?
Yes, one line argues that Obama's failure to close the facility, combined with drone policy, made his approach resemble his predecessor's. It reflects a real debate from that period in American politics.
Is there a quote defending the facility's necessity?
One speaker states plainly that the facility is necessary to national security, representing the position held by supporters of continued detention. It sits alongside more critical views in the same set.
Why is public support mentioned in these quotes?
One line argues that winning the broader war requires proving detention policy to the American people, tying public opinion directly to strategic success. That tension is common in war-era political commentary.
Where can I read more on this kind of political debate?
Our Debate quotes cover similar back-and-forth arguments, while Detention quotes focus specifically on custody and confinement policy.

These lines are useful for understanding how the site shaped post-9/11 politics without picking a side for you. Continue with our Detention quotes or the wider History quotes collection.