24 January 2004 - Saturday
So when exactly will the war end?
Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, published this article, "The Law of War in the War on Terror," in the current issue of Foreign Affairs. It will be quite dry for some, infuriating to others, intriguing to many. I highly recommend that you read it.
Here's an excerpt:
By literalizing its "war" on terror, the Bush administration has broken down the distinction between what is permissible in times of peace and what can be condoned during a war. In peacetime, governments are bound by strict rules of law enforcement. Police can use lethal force only if necessary to meet an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury. Once a suspect is detained, he or she must be charged and tried. These requirements -- what one can call "law-enforcement rules" -- are codified in international human rights law ....The United States of America, when last I checked, still had a functioning judicial system. Despite the temporary chaos caused by the attacks of 11 September, the nation is now quite capable of conducting most of its business in an orderly and lawful fashion. I respectfully submit that the electorate should keep this in mind. | Posted by Wilson at 21:51 Central | TrackBackConsider, for example, the cases of Jose Padilla and Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri. Federal officials arrested Padilla, a U.S. citizen, in May 2002 when he arrived from Pakistan at Chicago's O'Hare Airport .... As for al-Marri, a student from Qatar, he was arrested in December 2001 at his home in Peoria, Illinois .... President Bush, invoking war rules, has declared both men to be "enemy combatants," allowing the U.S. government to hold them without charge or trial until the end of the war against terrorism -- whenever that is ....
The Bush administration has asserted that the two men planned to wage war against the United States and therefore can be considered de facto soldiers. But if that is the case, then under war rules, the two men could have been shot on sight ....
| Report submitted to the Power Desk
With all due respect, it seems that you need to be reminded that Jose Padilla is an American citizen and furthermore was arrested on US soil. In addition, it seems that you should consider that for anyone, US citizen or otherwise, to be designated an "enemy combatant" after being apprehended at home in Peoria is farcical.
The thoughts of Wilson on 22 February 2004 - 21:19 Central+ + + + +
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It seems that you need to be reminded that the functional judicial system that you take for granted and speak so losely of is for U.S. citizens, not for individuals that are not citizens, especially for those that would be considered "possible National Security risks".
The thoughts of Michael Price on 22 February 2004 - 19:38 Central+ + + + +