Posted on 06/18/2008 6:21:12 AM PDT by RaceBannon
Obama advisers say bin Laden can appeal to U.S. civilian courts
Barack Obama has expressed support for the Supreme Court’s decision in favor of civilian prosecution of terrorism suspects, and his advisers said Tuesday that if Osama bin Laden were captured, he too should face civilian prosecution. – AP Bill Sammon, The Examiner 2008-06-18 07:00:00.0 Current rank: # 13 of 6,452
WASHINGTON - Barack Obama’s foreign policy advisers said Tuesday that Osama bin Laden, if captured, should be allowed to appeal his case to U.S. civilian courts, a privilege opposed by John McCain.
Responding to questions from The Examiner, Sen. John Kerry and former White House counterterrorism czar Richard Clarke said bin Laden would benefit from last week’s Supreme Court decision giving terrorism suspects habeas corpus, the right to appeal their military detention to civilian courts.
“If he were to be brought back,” Clarke said of bin Laden, “the Supreme Court ruling holds on the right of habeas corpus.”
Kerry, who applauded the Supreme Court ruling, said it will be carried out by whichever candidate wins the presidency.
“The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that they have those rights,” he said. “If John McCain were president, he would have to give them those rights.”
Randy Scheunemann, McCain’s senior foreign policy adviser, said those rights should not be extended to bin Laden or the hundreds of terrorism suspects being held by the U.S. military at U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
“The individuals we hold at Guantanamo are very, very dangerous people,” Scheunemann said. “To give them full access to the federal courts and the criminal justice system is fraught with danger, moving forward, and likely to make America less safe, unlike Senator Obama’s claim of supporting the decision that it made America safer.”
On Monday, Obama applauded the civilian prosecution of terrorists before the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
“In previous terrorist attacks — for example, the first attack against the World Trade Center — we were able to arrest those responsible, put them on trial,” he told ABC. “They are currently in U.S. prisons, incapacitated.”
Obama said President Bush has relied too heavily on military prosecution of terrorists, which has “given a huge boost to terrorist recruitment in countries that say, ‘Look, this is how the United States treats Muslims.’ ”
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Obama wants “to take a step back to the failed policies that treated terrorism solely as a law enforcement matter, rather than a clear and present danger. Barack Obama appears to believe that terrorists should be treated like criminals — a belief that underscores his fundamental lack of judgment regarding our national security.”
The attack sounded familiar to Kerry, who was the Democratic presidential nominee four years ago.
“This is exactly what they tried to say back in 2004, and the record absolutely contradicts it,” Kerry told The Examiner. “Every Democrat voted to go to war and attack the Taliban and al Qaeda, the people who attacked us. That is not a [legalistic] approach.”
bsammon@dcexaminer.com
Examiner
Maxine Waters will write a letter explaining why he shouldn’t be extradited.
Defending his Muslim brothers I see. I read recently that terrorists now figure the benefit to hitting us isn't worth the trouble they'll get for doing it.
Too bad you can only hang the guy once...(and Bush just might be the only Pres with the huevos to do so)...I’d like him to go on “tour” around the nation.
EXACTLY\\I am too certain that Obama is here to destroy this country and he right now is the biggest threat to our survival and the security of this country.
every time I see an Obama sticker though it’s not many here where I live thank Goodness I question the person about his racist church, his friendship with bill Ayers, his typical white people comment or his greedy white folk comment, or even n his small town America comment.
Most have never heard about them all they have heard is change, change change
point out Hitler changed Germany, the communist changed eastern Europe they just look dumbfounded
One never even knew about his friendship with Bill Ayers and thought I was making it up
Obama voters have to be the most dumbest voters this country has ever produced
Ah, something tells me that John Kerry is about to lose another election!
Seriously, what kind of crap is the Obamessiah trying to pull when he talks about change, and then picks foreign policy advisors who backed the Iraq War, and in one case (Clarke) gave us the best ratiale for invading by assessing that bin Laden would “boogie to Baghdad” if he lost his current digs?
Obama would probably like to sit down with Osama and ask him why he hates us so much, and what can he and we as a country do to repair our relationships with radical islam. I can hear Obama now, “Osama, can’t we all just get along.”
bumper sticker
Osama for Obama
at least this slogan is true unlike the libs who lie with theres.
Hamas has said they want him Hizbullah has said they can work with him, Irans leader has said he would be good for America
speaks volumes when our enemies are rooting for him and some simpletons in this country do not see it
That’s the way it works best...the terrorists know to prey on the ignorant and the stupid.
WHY are we Americans so stupid as to favor Barack Hussein Obama over John McCain again? Well, not AGAIN...I never heard any reasoning on that before.
nothing has sticked so far because the media spins it for Obama
will be interesting how the media now will spin this
what will MSNBC, NBC the likes of chris matthews say now about this, or will they just not inform there few viewers like they neevr did about Bill Ayers.
we truely are F###### if Obama ever gets in
I would think that something like this will bring an end to all the bickering about McCain....on the grounds that under NO circumstances must Obama win in November.
Even though I would much rather have a mutiny at the Convention and replace McCain at the top of the ticket, he would be better than this Marxo-Communo-Socialist giving terrorists legal access that even our military doesn’t have.
Four years of Congressional gridlock would be worth not letting the Obamanation take over.
Just my 2 cents.
THIS SHOULD BE McCAIN's NEXT AD...PLAYED OVER AND OVER AND OVER!
And then ask the American people if you're with us or with them?
If he’s even alive.
He's such a weenie, he'd probably kill himself, blame it on us, and hope he dies a martyr. POS
Maybe they can get Osama a book deal too. Right before it comes out, he can be interviewed by Barbara Walters, can cry in front of a national audience, maybe blame it on drugs or alcohol, and then announce he’s entering rehab.
What's with that?
agreed though not sure if Mc Cain or the republican party would do it.
There is so much to do with Obama’s comments and the Dims statement just before they took over congress and the house
we already did with al-zarqawi.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.