Rochester (WWJ) -- More than 100 people showed up Monday night at Rochester High School to discuss pros and cons of a plan to house suspected terrorists who are currently being detained at a military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Most of those in attendance opposed plans to move those suspects to the Standish Maximum Correctional Facility in northern Michigan. The prison is set to close at month-end, leaving about 300 state employees without a job.
Retired Army Lieutenant Gordon Cucullu told WWJ that the detainees are not people you'd want for neighbors.
"You're not talking about people that want to run a car wash. We're talking about people like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Ramzi Binalshibh. These are the superstars of the terrorist world," he told WWJ's Mike Campbell.
Some panelists warned that the transfers would put Standish, the Mackinac Bridge and other Michigan targets at risk of terror attacks. Supporters, though, are worried about keeping local residents employed.
The town hall forum was organized by the Michigan Coalition to Stop Gitmo North, a group of state residents who oppose bringing detainees into the state.
President Barack Obama has not made a decision on where to put the 200 or so Guantanamo Bay detainees.
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