HARDIN, MONTANA // When President Barack Obama ordered that Guantánamo Bay be closed within a year and established a commission to determine where its several hundred inmates should go, Americans across the country declared: "Not in my back yard."
But folks in this down-on-its-luck town in Montana took a different attitude: "Bring 'em' on," they said.
Hardin is home to a gleaming new US$27 million (Dh99m) detention centre that has sat empty since it was completed in 2007. The Two Rivers Authority, Hardin's economic development arm, built the 8,500 square metre complex believing the state needed more prison beds, and that a detention centre would bring the town much-needed jobs.
Even before the US slid into recession, Hardin suffered 10.7 per cent unemployment and a poverty rate about twice the national average. Since the downturn, joblessness has shot up to nearly 15 per cent, according to the mayor, Ronald Adams, with the average annual household income hovering at just $24,500.
"Our main street is suffering, with shops closing every month," said Carla Colestead, a member of the city council. "We need jobs here."
The empty prison just adds to Hardin's woes. Its construction was financed by a Texas consortium through the sale of municipal bonds, which came due for payment in May, putting the town in default.
Desperate to fill the facility, the Two Rivers Authority (TRA), put forward a proposal to become "Gitmo North". Hardin's city council passed the proposal 5-0, and sent a letter to Mr Obama.
"We have a facility that is available and ready to use," said Greg Smith, the TRA director. "We feel we have an opportunity to help the United States and the rest of the world."
The plan has brought a stampede of media to Hardin, a sleepy town of 3,400 where most residents know each other by name. Journalists have come from as far as Slovakia and Chile to report the story, which has also been covered by major American news outlets including Time and Newsweek.
However, four months since Hardin made its bid for the Gitmo detainees, there have been no calls from Washington, even though last week the task force crafting the Obama administration's new policy on terrorism detainees told the US president that it needed as much as six more months to figure out where to send them.
Officials in Montana, a state known for its cowboys and seemingly endless horizon, have thrown cold water on the proposal.
"We're not going to bring al Qa'eda to Big Sky Country - no way, not on my watch," said Max Baucus, a Democrat senator.
Brian Schweitzer, the governor, dismissed the idea that the Hardin facility was up to the task of housing the Guantanamo inmates. Corrections experts have said the jail's layout - with 72 single or double cells and 20 dormitory-style cells - was designed for medium-security prisoners, not terror detainees.
"I'm not going to pretend this is Supermax," said Mr Smith, referring to the maximum security federal prison in Colorado that's home to the World Trade Center bomber Ramzi Yousef and Zacarias Moussaoui, known as the 20th hijacker in the September 11 attacks.
"But our facility could be re-fitted," he said. "At a time when most Americans are saying 'not in my backyard', this is a sparsely populated area and we have a community that supports it. That's huge."
Many Americans initially applauded Mr Obama's decision to close Guantanamo, which came to be seen as a symbol of the Bush administration's disregard for human rights and the Geneva Conventions.
Yet the decision to close the facility has raised sticky questions about what to do with the more than 200 detainees still held there. In May, Republican lawmakers in Washington put forward a bill that would prevent them from ever ending up on US soil.
But where some Americans see a potential threat, some have seen dollar signs. Hardin is not the only place that has stuck its hand up for the Guantanamo prisoners. Two towns in Illinois have also made bids for the detainees, and a former Michigan governor recently published an editorial suggesting that the state that's home to the struggling American auto industry could earn billions by taking in the Guantanamo prisoners.
No one in Hardin is exactly jumping for joy at the idea of becoming Gitmo North, but many townspeople say they are desperate for the income it would bring.
"By and large, people don't want the Gitmo prisoners here, but we want the prison open," said Joe Malensek, who works at the local hardware shop. "We are open to anything."
Previous proposals have included re-outfitting the facility to grow medical marijuana or host paintball tournaments, or turning it into a rehab centre for sex offenders.
"Personally, I'd rather have the terrorists," said Bruce Hammond, as he tucked into a coffee at a local eatery. "They sound like a cleaner bunch."
gpeters@thenational.ae
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m, Winner SS Lamea, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer).
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m, Winner AF Makerah, Sean Kirrane, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m, Winner Maaly Al Reef, Brett Doyle, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,600m, Winner AF Momtaz, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m, Winner Morjanah Al Reef, Brett Doyle, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 2,200m, Winner Mudarrab, Jim Crowley, Erwan Charpy
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
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The biog
Born November 11, 1948
Education: BA, English Language and Literature, Cairo University
Family: Four brothers, seven sisters, two daughters, 42 and 39, two sons, 43 and 35, and 15 grandchildren
Hobbies: Reading and traveling
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
