Thursday, September 07, 2006
Military Trials? No access to Evidence?
Bush is now proposing to try alleged terrorists before military tribunals. That means the defendants won't have access to the evidence against them, making difficult, if not impossible, to mount a defense.
What does the military think of this?
According to Rueters, Pentagon lawyers balked at Bush's proposal to limit the terrorism suspects' access to evidence.
"I'm not aware of any situation in the world where there is a system of jurisprudence that is recognized by civilized people where an individual can be tried and convicted without seeing the evidence against him," Brig. Gen. James Walker, U.S. Marine Corps staff judge advocate told a Congressional hearing.
Civil rights groups had even harsher words for the proposal
"It's an attempt to justify an unjust and even a kangaroo court system," said ACLU attorney Ben Wizner.
Given the current system, where anyone, American citizen or not, can be declared an enemy combatant and tried at these courts, this is something that should alarm all Americans. First they came for the terrorists, then the peace activists, who next? ¶ 10:28 PM
What does the military think of this?
According to Rueters, Pentagon lawyers balked at Bush's proposal to limit the terrorism suspects' access to evidence.
"I'm not aware of any situation in the world where there is a system of jurisprudence that is recognized by civilized people where an individual can be tried and convicted without seeing the evidence against him," Brig. Gen. James Walker, U.S. Marine Corps staff judge advocate told a Congressional hearing.
Civil rights groups had even harsher words for the proposal
"It's an attempt to justify an unjust and even a kangaroo court system," said ACLU attorney Ben Wizner.
Given the current system, where anyone, American citizen or not, can be declared an enemy combatant and tried at these courts, this is something that should alarm all Americans. First they came for the terrorists, then the peace activists, who next? ¶ 10:28 PM
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I was so comforted to see that a group of ranking Republicans have also opposed this plan. Maybe all is not lost . . . the Bush Administration is losing support on every front, as far as I can see. We must--we MUST--get out the vote in November!
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# posted by 
: 11:06 AM
: 11:06 AM
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