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2009-01-19 Home Front: WoT

Confessions, some chaos as Gitmo war court resumes

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Posted by ed 2009-01-19 15:23|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 I will go to my grave believing that military justice MUST apply to enemy combatants captured in failed states. That notion is unassailable, logically, however, politically...

Posted by Ulinetle Lumumba7981 2009-01-19 15:54|| 2009-01-19 15:54|| Front Page Top

#2 UL,

Not just "enemy combatants" but "illegal enemy combatants" (that is, not carrying weapons openly, not wearing uniforms, not avoiding civilians). The idea that these folks (other than the point below) should be accorded Constitutional Rights or Geneva Rights is odious and, in fact, is an incentive to be an illegal combatant.

Of course some of the enemy combatants captured in Afghanistan are US Citizens which throws yet another wrinkle on it. In this case, some sort of constitutional rights (due process) should be given, although it shouldn't have to include everything given an accused person in, say, a robbery.

I think most people understand this intuitively and the Bush people should have gone on TV early on and explained this and proposed National Defense Court or something similar and written a new chapter in the USC. But unfortunately, Ashcroft was bullied by the CIA into doing nothing and Gonzales was too stupid to do anything.

Posted by mhw8 2009-01-19 19:11|| 2009-01-19 19:11|| Front Page Top

#3 I would prefer that they were not subject to a majestic justice system they don't deserve. Kill them on the battlefield

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2009-01-19 19:31|| 2009-01-19 19:31|| Front Page Top

#4 US citizens caught being enemy combatants should have their citizenship removed and afforded no rights.

Posted by Mike N. 2009-01-19 22:30|| 2009-01-19 22:30|| Front Page Top

#5 "Illegal Combatants" should get what treatment suits us not them.

Posted by Red Dawg">Red Dawg 2009-01-19 22:37|| 2009-01-19 22:37|| Front Page Top

#6 That's unbelievable.

"Eric Holder, in his confirmation hearing echoed a major criticism of the commissions: that they lack sufficient legal protections for those charged."

Well, nowadays, neo-nazis say that the Nuremberg military commissions who prosecuted and condemned the nazi leaders after WWII were illegal and lacked "sufficient legal protections for those charged"...

Posted by Leroidavid">Leroidavid 2009-01-19 22:44|| 2009-01-19 22:44|| Front Page Top

#7 Well, strictly speaking, the Nuremberg trials were a case of ex post facto justice.
I am not in any way supporting or defending the Nazis. Many of them deserved more than they got - a short trip to the end of a rope.
Illegal combatants can, and should, be summarily executed on the battlefield.

Posted by Rambler in Virginia">Rambler in Virginia 2009-01-19 22:56|| 2009-01-19 22:56|| Front Page Top

23:43 Leroidavid
23:23 Leroidavid
23:05 Keystone
22:59 Jan
22:56 Rambler in Virginia
22:44 Leroidavid
22:37 Red Dawg
22:34 Leroidavid
22:32 Leroidavid
22:31 mhw8
22:30 Mike N.
22:29 Leroidavid
22:26 Red Dawg
22:24 Harcourt Glusock2626
22:22 crosspatch
22:20 Mike N.
22:17 Mike N.
21:56 JosephMendiola
21:43 JosephMendiola
21:37 JosephMendiola
21:37 Mike N.
21:35 tu3031
21:23 Frank G
21:22 Procopius2k