(And ya might want to hold off on assumptions like the ones you're making about me. Are you really going to use my beliefs on this issue to paint a picture of the entirety of my political convictions? A perfect example is your non sequitur about waterboarding: I happen to think that water boarding is at the very least only marginally effective, although not the most heinous form of torture ever devised. I'm opposed to it's use in interrogations, and I prefer rapport-building techniques. But I digress.)
I don't really see the point in your arguments, since they mostly deal with motivation. I know what motivates radical Islam, thanks, but that still doesn't change the fact that setting a precedent that we will give civilian trials to enemy prisoners taken on the battlefield is a bad idea because it turns a war into a criminal investigation, with all the limitations and disadvantages that come with it. No one would seriously complain that we "undermined our values" by trying Nazi and Japanese war criminals in military tribunals instead of civilian courts, why is this different?
No, you don't understand the motivation of Radical Islam, if you did, you'd know your simply giving the jihadists what they want, and that's the point I'm trying to make. They would love nothing more than to have this as a military tribunal. Why else do you think groups like al qaeda don't want Gitmo to close down. A military installation were the vast majority of it's detainees are Muslims, and are held without due process. That's a PR boon for them, because it plays into their narrative. What's the point of killing all the terrorists when another generation will take their place? We're not going to win a war that way.
This issue is very important to me because by setting a precedent that our enemies on the battlefield are guaranteed Constitutional criminal rights if captured, it seriously damages my abilities to do my job as an Army interrogator. If I walk into a room with a Taliban fighter captured in a raid, do I have to make sure he is aware of his Miranda rights and wait for a lawyer to be present before I begin questioning him? THAT is why it's a bad idea: it has nothing to do with "our values" or showing that "we aren't scared of them". It's about doing something that severely increases the limitations and obstacles in front of our intelligence and military professionals.
Nice red herring there. If you knew anything about the Miranda rights - you'd know that with regard to those people who are captured on the battlefield, we make the determinations every day as to who should be Mirandized, and who should not. Most are not Mirandized. And the people who are involved in that decision involve not only lawyers and agents but also military personnel who make the determination as to who should be Mirandized.
No need to interrogate Osama bin Laden?
20/11/2009 12:48:27 AM
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oO uhm, what?
20/11/2009 12:54:13 AM
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If they're tried INSIDE the US, then yes, they are entitled to due process.
20/11/2009 01:44:08 AM
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Yeah, a lot of people were fuzzy on that till this started.
20/11/2009 09:30:39 AM
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on the other hand, we're more than willing to take them out back with a confession.
20/11/2009 06:34:12 PM
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New York is now asking for $75 MILLION for the KSM trial
20/11/2009 01:43:26 AM
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If this trial were being held in any other country
20/11/2009 01:56:07 AM
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It's a terrible precedent no matter how you look at it.
20/11/2009 02:13:46 AM
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It IS a terrible precdent, hence you and others are citing it 65 years after WWII ended.
20/11/2009 09:23:45 AM
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Spare me the bullshit.
20/11/2009 01:57:16 PM
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I will if you will.
20/11/2009 02:55:30 PM
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No, you won't. You never will.
20/11/2009 06:14:30 PM
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You're putting your cart before your horse is the problem.
23/11/2009 05:40:46 AM
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You don't think this is a military struggle? Wow.
20/11/2009 02:52:26 PM
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Allow me to point out...
20/11/2009 03:02:33 PM
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That's the thing, they aren't a terrorist group
20/11/2009 04:54:31 PM
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It would help if you would offer any argument in favour of your stance.
20/11/2009 08:43:08 PM
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I only use the word army cause I can't think of a better one
21/11/2009 04:32:01 AM
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Military struggles involve militaries.
20/11/2009 03:23:14 PM
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Once again, bullshit.
20/11/2009 06:09:31 PM
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This is wrong
20/11/2009 07:41:35 PM
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We're a long way from the shore of Tripoli.
23/11/2009 05:59:19 AM
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Your little diatribe in the beginning only makes me glad...
22/11/2009 05:32:57 AM
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I understand your "jihadist narrative"
22/11/2009 06:36:41 PM
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No you don't
22/11/2009 11:16:18 PM
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Oh, so you know better than Army attorneys about Miranda rights?
22/11/2009 11:52:00 PM
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I can explain it to you right now if you want?
23/11/2009 08:21:48 AM
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Credible legal and moral justifications for not trying terrorists in civilian court:
23/11/2009 02:56:19 PM
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Re: Credible legal and moral justifications for not trying terrorists in civilian court:
24/11/2009 04:55:12 AM
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I'm glad that you will never be in a position where a decision you make can affect my life.
23/11/2009 12:27:35 AM
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Actually people of my thinking are already making decisions that affect your life.
23/11/2009 08:29:24 AM
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Please explain to me how military tribunals compromise my principles?
24/11/2009 02:54:18 AM
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And your little hyperbolic rant would make more sense if it were grounded in reality.
22/11/2009 11:47:17 PM
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Looks like we'll get a Not Guilty plea, and a defense focusing on condeming US foreign policy
23/11/2009 12:36:47 AM
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They'll publicly accuse us of tyranny and brutality in front of a jury and without our censorship.
23/11/2009 08:27:13 AM
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My main objection is the awful precedent set by trying prisoners of war here in America.
24/11/2009 02:57:13 AM
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"My main objection is the awful precedent set by trying prisoners of war here in America. "
24/11/2009 06:57:34 AM
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We've had Mohammed in custody for over 6 years...
23/11/2009 07:56:49 AM
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I've already responded to your absurd statements, but let me reiterate a few here
23/11/2009 02:59:09 PM
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And I've responded to yours
24/11/2009 04:57:58 AM
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It's not, at least for me, that we feel the civilian courts are inadequate
24/11/2009 05:28:51 AM
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Good analysis of the situation.
23/11/2009 08:17:01 AM
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It isn't about sending a message. It's about horrible war fighting strategy.
24/11/2009 02:59:31 AM
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No. It's about not using a horribly ineffective strategy just to send a message to terrorists.
24/11/2009 09:29:06 AM
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enemy combatants and terrorists
23/11/2009 08:03:25 PM
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They're not different because from the Third World, but because terrorists.
24/11/2009 08:09:13 AM
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