Americans 'Died Because of' Released Gitmo Detainees: Pentagon Official
Americans "have died because of" detainees released from the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, a Defense Department official said Wednesday.
The comments, from special envoy Paul Lewis, came during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, and may provide more fuel for critics of President Obama's long-anticipated plan to shutter the prison, which he announced last month.
During the hearing, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., asked Lewis how many people had died because of "terrorists who went back to their terrorist activity."
When Lewis responded that he would prefer to discuss the matter in a "classified setting," Rohrabacher pressed him, asking if it was "over 10."
"Sir, what I can tell you is unfortunately there have been Americans that have died because of Gitmo detainees," Lewis said.