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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: lurqer who wrote (35925)	1/21/2004 11:35:06 PM
From: lurqer	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 89467

Wonder how this will play "down under"? At least the Aussies get a special "out". Military Lawyer Slams U.S. Terrorism Tribunals The U.S. Marine Corps lawyer assigned to defend an Australian terror suspect being held at the Guantanamo naval base in Cuba Wednesday criticized the military tribunal process and said it will not allow a fair trial. Maj. Michael Mori, who in November was assigned to be the military attorney for David Hicks -- an Australian held at the U.S. military prison in Cuba -- said the system set up by the Pentagon for trials of non-U.S. citizens captured during what U.S. officials call the war on terror was unfair. "The military commissions will not provide a full and fair trial," Mori told a news conference. "The commission process has been created and controlled by those with a vested interest only in convictions." "Fairness is extremely important in all cases, particularly those that have commanded such international attention and will have international impact," he said. Mori has met three times with Hicks, who has been held for two years in Guantanamo Bay along with hundreds of other prisoners detained during the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. None of the roughly 660 prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay has yet been charged with any crimes although Pentagon officials have suggested that military trials for some could begin soon. Most held at the base were arrested during the U.S. war that toppled the Taliban in Afghanistan. Washington accused the Taliban of harboring al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who is blamed for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. President Bush authorized the military commission trials two months after the Sept. 11 attacks. "STRIKING INJUSTICE" The tribunals have sparked criticism in the United States and abroad from rights groups and legal activists who say the procedures are designed to produce convictions. Mori agreed, saying, "Using the commission process just creates an unfair system that threatens to convict the innocent and provides the guilty a justifiable complaint as to their convictions." Under the rules, the Pentagon can monitor communications between prisoners and their lawyers, and there is no independent judicial review process. Appeals go only to a special military review panel named by the Pentagon, to the secretary of defense or the president. Mori and four other military defense lawyers filed a brief with the Supreme Court last week challenging the constitutionality of the tribunals. In a friend-of-the-court brief filed to the U.S. high court in connection with a suit challenging some prisoners' detention, they argued that foreign terrorism suspects being tried in the tribunals should be given the right to appeal to civilian courts. Australia, which opposes the death penalty, already has won assurances from the United States that Hicks and another Australian detainee, Mamdouh Habib, could not be sentenced to death. Both men would also be allowed to return home to serve any prison sentences if convicted. Mori said the most "striking injustice" of the system was that commission members, who take the place of an independent judge, do not have the authority to decide issues that could end up in the dismissal of a charge. Mori said although he and other military lawyers assigned to defend prisoners at Guantanamo Bay had complained about the tribunal system, their concerns had not been addressed. Mori, who said he called the news conference to draw attention to problems in the tribunal system, said the existing military justice system was a better alternative. "There is no valid reason to create a new justice system only for non-U.S. citizens," he said. reuters.com lurqer

To: lurqer who wrote (35925)	1/21/2004 11:37:04 PM
From: abuelita	Respond to of 89467

"None of us knew about 9/11 before the attack. My God, to suggest that responsible people, the president of the United States, would have known about that before the fact and not done anything about it, it is just, it's just, it's awful," Powell said. yeah but ..... israeli intelligence knew, right? they followed and watched the saudi hijackers, right? they were even kind of gleeful, right? (according to the video tape the fbi has) they're supposed u.s. allies, right? very interesting, right? -rose

To: lurqer who wrote (35925)	1/21/2004 11:43:36 PM
From: laura_bush	Respond to of 89467

I think they're getting scared. I saw news scrolls on CNN and MSNBC that Rove, Cheney himself and now Powell are making very direct, defensive statements about Halliburton and bush foreign policy. I'm astonished to see Rove speak on the record. He blames the Democrats for everything. -g- lb

To: lurqer who wrote (35925)	1/22/2004 10:15:46 AM
From: T L Comiskey	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 89467

Colin needs to admit he Lied......(The UNSpeaker) His 'Image thing' would improve... imnsho. T A guy goes into a store and tells the clerk, "I'd like some Polish sausage." The clerk looks at him and asks, "Are you Polish?" The guy, clearly offended, says, "Well, yes I am. But let me ask you something. If I had asked for Italian sausage, would you ask me if I was Italian? "Or if I had asked for German bratwurst, would you ask me if I was German? "Or if I asked for a kosher hot dog, would you ask me if I was Jewish? "Or if I had asked for a chorizo, would you ask if I was Mexican? Would ya, huh? Would ya?" The clerk says sheepishly, "Well, no." With deep, self-righteous indignation, the guy says, "Well, all right then, why did you ask me if I'm Polish just because I asked for Polish sausage?" The clerk replies, "Because this is Home Depot." :