Playing Politics?
Todays' Strib Editorial on the Interrogation Bill recycles the usual talking points; on the notion of "coddling" terrorists:
Perhaps Hastert means coddle folks like the hapless, innocent Canadian who was shanghaied by U.S. officials and sent off to Syria for a few months of softening up, then released with a "Never mind."
Um, no, Strib. I think Hastert, Bush, and every other American who cares about security is concerned about coddling Ramsi Binalshibh and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the masterminds of 9/11.
I was about to write "Does the Strib editorial board know the difference?", but I erased it. Too inflammatory. Or so I thought.
But I've been carrying on an email correspondent with a moonbat who has about the same point of view as the Strib editoral board; she can't imagine that some of the accused terrorists are really, really, very very bad people.
By the Hastert definition, authorities also coddled Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. because, though he was sentenced to death for killing Dru Sjodin, he also was provided the presumption of innocence and fair treatment written into our laws and Constitution.
And this proves it - I
should have asked if the Strib knows the difference between an
citizen who was arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced for an offense against Ameircan criminal laws, and a group of
foreigners who were captured in the service of an extranational terrorist organization while trying to
attack the US. Dealing with this is
not as a rule the province of US criminal law!
The idealist thinks the Strib editors are merely stupid. The cynic thinks they're exercising the Goebbels playbook; repeat a big lie until the soft-minded and ill-informed believe it.
Posted by Mitch at
September 29, 2006 06:44 AM
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Let's be perfectly clear Mitch. The Senate passed legislation that let's the President decide what interrogation techniques are allowed to be used.
He had already been given the power to determine who was an "enemy combatant" and now we have also given the President the authority to direct how those held as "enemy combatants" are going to be tried.
In addition, this legislation also extends the definition to include any person "who has purposefully and materially supported hostilities against the United States or its co-belligerents."
I've listened to Rightwing nutjobs scream for 4 years that I, and people like me that disagree with the President, support terrorists. By your sides definition and utter contempt for any views contrary to your own, American Citizens who have done absolutely nothing more that disagree with the President, can be rounded up and sent away to Gitmo.
I'm not saying it WILL happen but the problem with this legislation is that now it COULD happen.
This is the beginning of totalitarian rule in this country Mitch and if you were the Libertarian you claim to be, you would be freaking out right now.
Posted by: Doug at September 29, 2006 08:34 AMJeepers Doug don't get your panties in a wad.
HR6166 states:
(3) ALIEN- The term `alien' means a person who is not a citizen of the United States.
......
Sec. 948c. Persons subject to military commissions
`Any alien unlawful enemy combatant is subject to trial by military commission under this chapter.
`Sec. 948d. Jurisdiction of military commissions
`(a) Jurisdiction- A military commission under this chapter shall have jurisdiction to try any offense made punishable by this chapter or the law of war when committed by an alien unlawful enemy combatant before, on, or after September 11, 2001.
`(b) Lawful Enemy Combatants- Military commissions under this chapter shall not have jurisdiction over lawful enemy combatants. Lawful enemy combatants who violate the law of war are subject to chapter 47 of this title. Courts-martial established under that chapter shall have jurisdiction to try a lawful enemy combatant for any offense made punishable under this chapter.
`(c) Determination of Unlawful Enemy Combatant Status Dispositive- A finding, whether before, on, or after the date of the enactment of the Military Commissions Act of 2006, by a Combatant Status Review Tribunal or another competent tribunal established under the authority of the President or the Secretary of Defense that a person is an unlawful enemy combatant is dispositive for purposes of jurisdiction for trial by military commission under this chapter.
Posted by: Terry at September 29, 2006 09:05 AMThe breeze from all the leftist/Democrat jerking knees is mussing up Sen. Reid's hair. Knock it off.
Posted by: Bill C at September 29, 2006 09:34 AMand the silence from the right is deafening after we sent an innocent Canadian citizen to a foreign country to be tortured...
Posted by: Fulcrum at September 29, 2006 11:21 AMThe silence from all those wingnut conservatives at ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, NYT and the WaPo is pretty darn deafening too.
Posted by: Kermit at September 30, 2006 09:00 PM