Guantanamo detainees may be headed for Amherst, Mass.

(NECN: Josh Brogadir, Amherst, Mass.) - Town leaders in Amherst, Massachusetts, have endorsed an offer to make the college town a possible resettlement home for two detainees from the Guantanamo Bay prison. The resettlement resolution was approved by select board members in a 2-1 vote. Tonight, there is mixed reaction from those who call Amherst home. The vote was 2 to 1 with two board members absent. Having these detainees come to live here may be a longshot, but supporters say it's worth the effort. "They sound like two very fine guys. They would add to our community," said Amherst town meeting member Ruth Hooke. The western Massachusetts town of Amherst could be the destination for more than just the tens of thousands of college students who each fall join the permanent residents who live here. The new Pioneer Valley chapter of the group No More Guantanamos is hoping two Guantanamo Bay Prison detainees, Ahmed Bel Bacha, of Algeria and Ravil Mingazov of Russia, will be able to resettle in town - if they are released from custody. We asked Hooke if she is at all concerned about these two men someday coming to live here. "Oh no, I'd be delighted to have them come here," Hooke said. "I would be absolutely thrilled to have them come here." Monday night, Hooke, the 82 year old self described activist, town meeting, and No More Guantanamos member made a controversial pitch to the town select board - which then endorsed a resolution allowing these men to come live in the community. That resolution will next be heard in front of the entire town meeting next month. Bel Bacha, who worked for the Algerian government and who was threatened by Islamic militants has been cleared by a US military panel. Mingazov, was in the Russian military, converted to Islam, and was sought by the KGB, then later arrested in Pakistan. He has not been cleared, but has never been charged. "I believe if they've been cleared of charges then they should be able to settle here as well as anywhere else," said Jeff Van Peski of Amherst. "Yeah, as long as they're not criminals, why not?" said Bridget Dahill of Amherst. "I see a potential downside, but I also see why there's merit to it. I honestly haven't researched the issue enough to have a strong opinion," said Amherst's Jeff Kellman. President Obama has made no secret of his desire to close the prison in Cuba. But the chances that these men will eventually even come to live in Amherst is not likely. "It's a longshot because first we have to rouse the public which is what you are helping to do and get them informed about the issue and then get them to write their congressmen, congresswomen, and tell them, change the ban," Hooke said. That congressional ban is on relocating Gitmo prisoners in the U.S. and these men have no ties to Amherst. But Hooke says there is a mosque in town for these devout Muslims, and Amherst can be a national leader on the issue - by going against the "Not In My Backyard" way of thinking. "We are trying to spread the word. We want other communities around the country to think about this," Hooke said. The group No More Guantanamos has gotten the blessing of the two detainees' lawyers, in their efforts to bring them here. Of the hundreds at Guantanamo, he 30 or so group members of the Pioneer Valley chapter thought these two men's causes were among the strongest and that they would fit in in Amherst.