California’s Camp Pendelton to be the New GITMO?

Say it ain’t so that President Obama will close Gitmo and move most of its residents to a new constructed prison located at California’s Camp Pendelton Marine Base.

The U.S. military has prepared a list of U.S. military bases that could be used to house as many as 250 detainees currently being held at the U.S. Naval base in Guantanamo Bay, military officials tell ABCNews.com.

The list — which includes Camp Pendleton in California, Fort Leavenworth in Kansas; the Marine Air Station in Miramar, California; and the U.S. Naval Consolidated Brig in South Carolina — has been circulated in a classified brief to members of Congress and was prepared by the Pentagon’s Joint Staff.

President-elect Barack Obama is expected to order that the Guantanamo Bay detainee facility be closed on his first day in office, officials say. Officials say it would take at least a year to prepare a new prison and transfer the detainees.

The preliminary list was based on cost, logistic, and security concerns, but the Department of Defense is expected to present a more comprehensive recommendation based on a variety of factors, according a military official.

Camp Pendleton was determined to be the least expensive option and officials say its vast 125,000 acre size would allow for a new prison to be built in an isolated and secure area. 

Camp Pendleton has a daytime population of 60,000, according to its website, including military personnel, their families and civilian employees.

Three San Diego county Congressmen have already voiced opposition to sending the terror detainees to Camp Pendleton.

Ed Morrissey knowing the geography of Camp Pendelton ridicules the notion of moving GITMO there as a San Onofre based terrorist prison becomes a prime terrorist target. You know the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant that is nearby, the Interstate Freeway that runs down to Mexico and the upscale neighborhoods in Oceanside and North San Diego county which would be vulnerable to terrorist hostage and attack – so they can free their detained buddies.

The President-Elect will likely issue an Executive Order on his first day in office closing GITMO. And, it may be up to a year before the Cuban prison is actually closed.

Camp Pendleton would be an unwise choice.

The letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates opposing Camp Pendelton as a terrorist prison from Represenatives Duncan Hunter (R-CA), Brian Bilbray (R-CA) and Darrell Issa (R-CA) is here.