What excellent news comes from the Attorney General this morning: Khalid Sheikh Mohammend and four other plotters connected with the 9/11 attacks will be tried in federal court in New York. This is eight years in coming, and a half dozen years after these criminals were apprehended. It is about time!
The Republicans are outraged. Atty General Mukasey (formerly a federal judge in New York) claims that this is a reversion to a pre-9/11 mindset that refuses to acknowledge that we are "at war" with terrorism. Of course this is false. Shifting from trials in military commissions to trials in real courts has nothing to do with the tactics and strategy employed to defeat terrorists. The reason for the outrage is the fear that Bush and the neoconservative legacy will be further undermined. The trials will, they know, bring out real details about the torture inflicted on these accused persons.
I am excited. This is the chance we have been waiting for since the 9/11 attacks, to show the world what American justice is really all about. I hope the courts do a good job. The conservatives who oppose this have really emboldened the terrorists. Their message is, "You terrorists are too big, scary, and powerful for our meager institutions. Not soldiers or criminals, but a terrifying new hybrid. We will change our values and principles to accommodate you, because they are too weak." This Attorney General and this President say otherwise. America and her institutions are strong enough to handle these terrorists.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Justice at Last!
Posted by The Law Talking Guy at 5:35 PM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Yes! Finally!
By the way, the Daily Show had a great bit on this. Jon Stewart asked "what if he get's acquitted? Well, he'll be released onto the streets of New York..." Then he started clinking beer bottles together on his fingers like from the 70s cult classic The Warriors and says in a creepy whine "Khalid Sheik Mohammed...Come out to play-ay..."
And this is the point that the Fox News hysterics miss. Rule of law is an alternative to both anarchy and arbitrary abuse of power.
The whole point of having a court system is to search for justice. It's a major aspect of how our society works.
Khalid will be tried: if he's guilty, all the evidence backs it up, if he confesses, then he'll be found guilty and sent to prison for life.
If he's not guilty, no evidence and no proof, then he'll be let free.
That's how the justice system works; it always has and it always will. It's time for Khalid to go to court.
Post a Comment