Posted on 09/27/2006 3:08:36 PM PDT by SmithL
A Democratic congresswoman on Wednesday cited the case of an Iraqi Associated Press photographer imprisoned by the U.S. military during debate on a prisoner treatment bill that she considers too harsh.
In a House speech, Rep. Louise Slaughter referred to Bilal Hussein, who has been detained in Iraq for more than five months.
"He was accused of aiding and abetting the insurgency, but he has yet to be charged with any crime," said Slaughter, D-N.Y. She noted that the AP has demanded that Hussein either be released or charged so that he can be turned over to the Iraqi court system for trial.
Slaughter said she also planned to write Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld about Hussein's case.
"Imagine if another nation held an American citizen without charging him of a crime?" she asked. "What are we supposed to say about our country today?"
Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., responded to Slaughter's statements by saying he was "proud that we extend protections to our adversaries that they do not extend to us, and I'm proud that in the few cases where there are transgressions those are vigorously prosecuted and exposed by this country."
Hussein was arrested in Ramadi on April 12. The military said he was in the company of two alleged insurgents in an apartment where there were bomb-making materials and that he is being held indefinitely for "imperative reasons of security" under U.N. resolutions, because of "strong ties" to insurgents that go beyond the role of a journalist.
AP executives went public on Sept. 10 with news about Hussein's detention on Sept. 10 after months of behind-the-scenes negotiations. They said the news cooperative's review of Hussein's work did not find inappropriate contact with insurgents and that U.N. resolutions do not allow for indefinite detention.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Of course not. The AP finds aiding and abetting our enemies to be entirely appropriate behavior.
This just continues the same old song of Dems thinking this is a "Law and Order" issue, not "WE ARE AT WAR IDIOTS!" How long is going to take them to get this simple simple concept?
I can hear bilal hussein now.
No,shutup ap,shutup you silly Louise Slaughter,leave me with the Americans,shutup,shutup,shutup!
Louise Slaughter should STFU!
Hussein, a native of Fallujah, was hired by AP there in 2004 and has worked as a photographer there and in Ramadi, both centers of the Iraq insurgency.
Hussein was arrested in Ramadi on April 12. The military said he was in the company of two alleged insurgents in an apartment where there were bomb-making materials
His contribution was an image of four insurgents in Fallujah firing a mortar and small arms during the U.S.-led offensive in the city in November 2004.
"The military in Iraq has often detained journalists who arrive quickly at scenes of violence, accusing them of getting advance notice from insurgents."
Slaughter has now earned favorable press reports on her from now until election day
""He was accused of aiding and abetting the insurgency, but he has yet to be charged with any crime," said Slaughter, D-N.Y.""
I didn't know helping to kill American soldiers during wartime is a crime. Quite frankly, if he isn't wearing the uniform of another country, he isn't covered by the Geneva Acoords. As such, he should be tortured to get every piece of information from him, then shot through the head with a bacon wrapped bullet.
"...he should be tortured to get every piece of information from him, then shot through the head with a bacon wrapped bullet."
Ohh!
I thought Louise Slaughter was a female, LOL.
IF he is an unlawful combatant, then he can be shot as a spy or saboteur without any further proceedings.
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