[Mikey_1962]

Gaurd our borders, deliver our mail, protect us from all enemies foriegn and dosmestic.

If they could only do these three things REALLY WELL, I would little to complain about. But....

[browardchad]

Consider the source.

[Americanexpat]

So what? Maybe the Justice Department knew it didn't have enough information to extradite this scumbag, or that Britain would extradite him.

We have better evidence and more Intel on this Jose Padilla (the dirty bomber suspect) and we haven't convicted him either.

[jeffers]

The strategic considerations seem clear to me. Abu Hamza is and has always been a much higher priority target than one of his aides. That, coupled with the sensitivity of the British law prior to the 7/7 bombings meant that all aspects of the case had to be processed at the highest levels of US government.

Just one of thousands of possible loose strings, with the aide in custody, Hamza's attorneys could subpeona him to help "lie up" whatever defense Hamza chooses to attempt.

I'm not saying that's a real issue, I am stepping outside the Seattle Time's spin to show that the decisions they attack were formulated under an entirely different set of priorities.

My guess as to the the nature of those priorities goes something like this:

1. Maintain positive relations with Great Britain.

2. Get Hamza off the street for the maximum number of years possible under the restrictions imposed by British law and Priority 1 above.

Any circumstance that is a subset of a larger set of considerations and priorities can be isolated and second guessed outside of its real implications, and this is precisely the tactic the Seattle Times is employing here.