Illegal combatant or garden variety crook?
December 29, 2009In Roy’s post below I made the following comment. I decided to bump it to post level because I think it raises some interesting questions.
Here is an interesting story of Nazi saboteurs who infiltrated the US during World War II. Two (Dasch and Burger) turned themselves and the others in. One of those two received a 30 year prison sentence, the other received life. The other six received death sentences.
The eight were tried before a Military Commission, comprised of seven U.S. Army officers appointed by President Roosevelt, from July 8, to August 4, 1942. The trial was held in the Department of Justice Building, Washington, D.C. The prosecution was headed by Attorney General Frances Biddle and the Army Judge Advocate General, Major General Myron C. Cramer. Defense counsel included Colonel Kenneth C. Royall (later Secretary of War under President Truman) and Major Lausen H. Stone (son of Harlan Fiske Stone, the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court).
All eight were found guilty and sentenced to death. Attorney General Biddle and J. Edgar Hoover appealed to President Roosevelt to commute the sentences of Dasch and Burger. Dasch then received a 30-year sentence, and Burger received a life sentence, both to be served in a federal penitentiary. The remaining six were executed at the District of Columbia Jail on August 8, 1942.
They didn’t hurt a soul. They were caught before they could. No Miranda rights, no habeas corpus, no show trial. They were tried between July 8 and August 4 and all executed on August 8. This under the orders of the liberal hero FDR.
My how times have changed.
How is Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab different from the Nazi saboteurs?
R.D. Walker :
Date: December 29, 2009
Charles Krauthammer on Obama’s speech in Hawaii on the averted terrorist attack:
Squirrel :
Date: December 29, 2009
Guess there are still some terroists out there… Barry must have missed that memo.
RUDE JUDE :
Date: December 29, 2009
But we must not “jump to any conclusions” either.
Roy Ryder :
Date: December 29, 2009
The vast majority of Americans would like to see this guy waterboarded like there’s no tomorrow. The more Obama tries to persue terrorists through criminal courts, the more people will be disgusted with him and unelect his ass and that of his party.
Locke n Load :
Date: December 29, 2009
I wonder if the O is actually surprised about all this recent jihadist activity? I don’t subscribe to the notion that he’s an idiot and I doubt he’s a crappy strategist. He DID manage to get elected so he obviously has skills.. My guess would be he expects attempted attacks but actually sees them as criminal acts that can be individually addressed. The nomenclature change (i.e. war of terror) could be nothing more than a crumb for the loonie left since it really changes nothing but public discussion in the States. So why then the blasé’ attitude and ‘law and order’ approach to this? Simple: Obama’s MO is to weaken constitutional precedents. If he can position the US with his pacifist stance he can demoralize the population. A population without faith in the system of government eventually fragments and ironically comes to rely MORE on the government. This sounds a bit weird I suppose, but I actually think terror attacks are a win-win for this chowderhead. If he reacts passively but puts on a good face he demoralizes and weakens us further thus aiding his fellow progressives. If a truly horrendous attack occurs he can do what the left has always dreamed of, that is step in with dictatorial power.
R.D. Walker :
Date: December 29, 2009
I dunno, Locke. I kind of think he believes his own propaganda. Leftists believe that people are not so much individual agents as automatons that react to their environment. Without exception, leftists hold that people are infinitely malleable and are but blank slates upon which any behavior can be written.
Combine that worldview with a distinct narcissism and you have a man who believes that his shining goodness will actually cause people to change, to become better, to be pacified. I think the fool actually believed that the very existence of a President Obama would cause the jihadis to lay down their weapons.
Locke n Load :
Date: December 29, 2009
Hehehe, you could very well be right RD. I guess this comes right back to our constantly asked question: evil or just stupid? Something about Obama tells me its the first but I could hardly prove it. The putz was raised to believe his own nonsense, got praised from his earliest days, got promoted along the way for spouting the same crap he does now.. All argue in favor of your point. Me, i see friggin horns on this guy. He’s so coldly calculated in all of his lies I can’t help but think there’s something of a grand plan behind it.
BaconNeggs :
Date: December 29, 2009
As someone pointed out, most Western government have no problem killing unborn fetuses/children, the lives of murderers and mass murderers however are precious, and have to be understood and reedeemed.
I was listening to some Clown-Expert in the MSM this morning braying on about roots causes, the divide between rich and poor, global corporate greed, and how basically its all the fault of the rapious Western nations etc. The usual Marxist socialist bull.
At the top of the hour the News came on and announced China had just executed some British Drug smuggler dispite protests and appeals from Western “leaders”.
And I thought thats what wrong with the West, they have allowed a bunch of Socialist Lawyers to emasulate them to the point where they are now totally impotent. The Chinese at least still have balls.
When I am looking at Communist China and applauding their firm Justice, something is very wrong in the West.
The Namby Pamby Western politicains tied up by lawyers have got to the stage where they are unable to identify or kill an enemy standing in front them at ready to kill in a “holy war”.
R.D. Walker :
Date: December 30, 2009
“Holding out hope…”
I am guessing that J. Edgar Hoover didn’t have to “hold out hope” that the Nazi Saboteurs would cooperate and talk. Here is a newsflash for the Obamanation: Enemy combatants do not have the right to remain silent. They never have.
Locke n Load :
Date: December 30, 2009
Didn’t see THAT comin, did we?