Moving terrorist trials to federal courts? How do I think this unwise?
Let me count the ways.....
1. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has already pleaded "guilty".
2. This is an enemy combatant case--not a criminal case. The laws are different, and for a good reasons, which include the fact that war criminals have never been afforded the same constitutional rights of a US citizen. That's because war criminals are NOT US citizens--they have committed acts of war against our country, and are subject to international rules of war. Attorney General Eric Holder is wrong to move these men to US federal courts.
Now, is he ill-informed, politically movitivated or just plain dumb?--I'm not sure--you decide by his statement when asked if a war criminal's case had ever been placed into US courts. “I don’t know. I’d have to look at that. I think that, you know, the determination I’ve made…”
(And another question, Mr. Holder--why are some terrorists being tried by military commission but these 5 men are now to be tried by federal courts? What's the difference in these cases? Why couldn't they all be tried by military commission, or by US courts?)
3. The Guanatamo Bay prison facility is designed to handle the security issues associated with war crimes trials. New York City federal courts are not designed to handle these security risks. Despite Mr. Holder's assurances that security is and has always been a non-issue, New York City is now asking for federal money to specifically help with increasing security.
4. Military tribunals allow for interrogation and collecting evidence as part of how terrorists are treated. This isn't allowed in normal criminal proceedings. Will Mr. Holder's decision lead to these 5 terrorists' cases being thrown out of court? Will this decision hamper normal military interrogation in the future?
And, last but not least, when President Obama states that he expects these terrorists to 'hang' (so to speak), isn't he prejudicing the trial? How will jurists be found who are impartital--when our President is so blatantly biased?
My summary---dweedle-dee, dweedle DUMB
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