With indictment unsealed, al Qaeda suspect moves into civilian court system

[Turborama]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON — Federal authorities unsealed an indictment Friday against Ali al-Marri, accused of being an al Qaeda sleeper agent, moving him into the civilian court system as the Obama administration considers a new strategy for handling terrorism suspects.

The administration also asked the Supreme Court to dismiss al-Marri’s pending legal challenge to the president’s authority to arrest terrorism suspects in the U.S. and hold them indefinitely without charges. The administration refused to rule out similar detentions in the future. "Nor can there be any certainty as to whether, or in what circumstances" the issue will arise again, acting Solicitor General Edwin Kneedler told the court.

Al-Marri was arrested in Peoria, Ill., where he had just moved to attend graduate school. He has been held in a Navy brig outside Charleston, S.C., for more than five years, since President George W. Bush declared him an enemy combatant.

He will now be transferred to Peoria to face trial in a civilian court on a charge of providing material support to al Qaeda and a related conspiracy count. The charges carry a maximum prison sentence of 15 years each.

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/238/story/1230419.html

[byeya]

1. The first attack on the World Trade Center and the

attack on the Murrah bldg in Oklahoma City were terrible acts and properly treated as criminal acts and the police - local, state, and federal - handled the matters. The airplace attacks on the WTC and the Pentagon were also criminal acts and should have been treated as such - they would probably have been solved by now, with help from international police forces and, maybe, some military involvement.
I am glad to see this character get into the criminal system where he should have been to begin with.{I wonder if his 5 year wait will invoke the Constitutional speedy trail requirement}. If it does, here's another Bu$h fiasco.

[iandhr]

2. good

if these people really are terrorists charge them convict them and lock them up and throw away the key