Bush's Combatant Policy Attacked at Legal Talks

[Nambe]

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters)

The Bush administration's anti-terror legal strategies, including dubbing U.S citizens enemy combatants and holding them indefinitely without charges, is coming under attack at a meeting of the nation's largest legal group.

"The (U.S. Supreme Court) Justices will have to stand up straight and tell us what kind of country we have," James Brosnahan, a prominent criminal defense lawyer, said at a Friday session held during the American Bar Association's annual meeting in San Francisco.

"Can you have a U.S. citizen ... declared an unlawful combatant ... and have no rights, no lawyers, no access and no charges," said Brosnahan, who defended "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh. Lindh, pleaded guilty to two charges of aiding the Taliban, and is serving a 20-year prison term. ---

[DuctapeFatwa]

1. Has the Bar Association been declared a terror organization yet?

This is good news for Halliburton, who builds the cages. The Bar Association has a lot of members!

[0007]

5. Good news only if Halliburton's

proposal is accepted.

[votein04]

11. Only one thing we can do

VOTE IN '04!!!!

[MasonJar]

2. Bush and the Constitution

Half of the things that this so-called administration does is unconstitutional. Why are perfectly intelligent, educated Americans refusing to look seriously at his atrocities?

[jiacinto]

3. People aren't going to sympathize with terrorists

That's why.

[htuttle]

4. How can you tell if someone's a terrorist without a trial?

Do they float if you throw them in the river?

[jiacinto]

6. People don't care about the constitution

They see terrorists and want them punished. Talking about the civil rights for terrorist and criminals is not going to work with them.

And to be honest I have great issues. I see people who hate American and wish harm for our country. And it really gets me angry on some level to listen to people advocate for their rights while ignoring the people they've hurt.

[htuttle]

7. That doesn't describe any of the people who live in my community

Maybe I live in the last bastion of American Democracy, who knows...

[CheshireCat]

8. It will work

once average americans see that it could happen to them or their loved ones.

[NYC]

10. Fear? Is your reaction based on fear?

People must be identified as terrorists before they can be punished for it. Many of us fear many crimes. We don't go throwing suspects in prison without trials.


You said you see people who would "harm" America. Who are they, and how do you know this?

[htuttle]

12. Since jiacinto sees people who would harm America

Maybe he should be thrown in jail and interrogated until he tells us who they are?

WHAT ARE THERE NAMES? WHEN ARE YOU PLANNING TO ATTACK NEXT? TELL US!

TALK YOU! TALK OR YOU'LL NEVER SEE YOUR FAMILY AGAIN!!!


(please note: this post was intended to make a point, not attack jiacinto...in case that wasn't immediately obvious)

[NYC]

9. That's the key. Trial BEFORE conviction.

People are not terrorists just because someone "suspects they may be". People are entitled to trials before they are convicted of crimes.

Anything else is unAmerican.