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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: puborectalis who wrote (254225)6/13/2008 6:06:25 AM
From: Brumar89  Respond to of 793907
 
Is the US Constitution a suicide pact after all?
James Lewis

The US Supreme Court has just decided to allow terror suspects captured in foreign combat to challenge their detention in Federal civilian courts. This decision contradicts US law for the last 232 years, through the Civil War and the two World Wars. According to AP:

"...the court ruled 5-4 that the government is violating the rights of prisoners being held indefinitely and without charges at the U.S. naval base in Cuba. The court's liberal justices were in the majority. ... The lawyer for Salim Ahmed Hamdan, Osama bin Laden's one-time driver, said he will seek dismissal of the charges against Hamdan based on Thursday's ruling. A military judge had already delayed the trial's start to await the high court ruling."

This ruling comes seven years after the 9/11 attacks, including a direct attack on the Pentagon and an aborted suicide attack believed to be aimed at the Capitol or the White House itself.

The White House said it is studying the ruling. But even if this is a narrowly defined decision, there is no question that the ACLU will try to broaden it to make it apply to all captured combatants on any circumstances.

The US Supreme Court has opened a Pandora's Box. It is hard to see any legal barrier against giving enemy combatants Miranda rights, applying civilian rules of evidence to armed combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the end of preemptive action against terrorists. Preemption is only possible for military action --- until now. It is not possible in domestic crimes, because criminals must be considered innocent until proven guilty.

Combatants now seem to be entitled to speedy trial, the presumption of innocence, and the right to be released immediately -- where, in the United States? -- if they are detained too long.
If we capture a terror chief tomorrow in Iraq or Afghanistan, how many weeks can we keep him? How many of our soldiers will die because professional mass killers are released willy-nilly to kill again?

We have all suddenly become far more vulnerable to terrorist attack than ever before.

It is often said that "the US Constitution is not a suicide pact." Five Supreme Court Justices now seem so seduced by their untrammeled power and the illusion of perfect justice, that that the suicide rule may have to be revised. From now on, for liberals, the US Constitution is a suicide pact.

Welcome to the United States of Liberal America, where righteous fantasies prevail over very real threats to our survival.


The world has just become more dangerous, courtesy of the Supremes.

James Lewis blogs at dangeroustimes.wordpress.com

americanthinker.com

No more liberals on the Court!



To: puborectalis who wrote (254225)6/13/2008 8:02:55 AM
From: quehubo  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 793907
 
The way to take care of this problem is to ensure there are no live prisoners in our custody. Turn them over to the locals for proper local treatment or take no prisoners at all.

When these freed detainees shows up again with innocent blood on their hands the left will be blaming President Bush no doubt.



To: puborectalis who wrote (254225)6/13/2008 8:40:55 AM
From: DMaA  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 793907
 
Be nice if you would say where this is from. Communist Party Daily or the NYTimes I presume.



To: puborectalis who wrote (254225)6/13/2008 9:33:24 AM
From: skinowski  Respond to of 793907
 
habeas corpus ...... it cannot be suspended except “when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it.”

Obviously, WTC was not an invasion of public safety. Al Qaeda - an organisation capable of conducting wars in several countries simultaneously - ain't no big deal either. Just criminals. If you see a mushroom over downtown -- call 911.



To: puborectalis who wrote (254225)6/13/2008 3:48:13 PM
From: Nadine Carroll  Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 793907
 
sulcus, have you ever heard the phrase "The Perfect is the Enemy of the Good"?

Brutality won in this harebrained decision. Because the US decided to be so perfect about habeas corpus, all future Al Qaeda prisoners will be handed over to the local warlord or hidden prisons in cooperative countries, where they will be treated far more brutally than in Gitmo.