Mich. prison may still receive Gitmo prisoners

Conflicting reports have come out of Michigan regarding the proposed transfer of suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay to a maximum security prison in the Wolverine State.

The offices of Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) and Rep. Bart Stupak (D) told the Detroit News that the soon-to-be-shuttered federal prison in Standish is still on the table as a possible site to house the detainees should the Guantanamo prison be closed.

Stupak's district contains the Standish prison.

But Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.), the ranking member of the House Select Intelligence Committee, said that based on conversation with the Defense Department he is "95 percent convinced" that the Standish site is off the table.

Hoekstra is strongly opposed to the proposal, which was reported last month.

A federal and a state official both maintained that the Michigan site still remains a possible destinaiton for the terror suspects.

This month, Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) lifted his hold on former Rep. John McHugh (R-N.Y.) as Army Secretary after he became convinced Guantanamo Bay prisoners would not be sent to the Fort Leavenworth Army base in his state.

Reports surfaced in early August that the Obama administration was considering transferring prisoners to the Michigan and Kansas sites. The White House, however, is currently reconfiguring its plan to shut down the Guantanamo military prison.

Administration officials indicated this weekend that the facility would not be closed before its self-imposed January deadline.