Posted on 11/16/2001 1:09:11 PM PST by Elkiejg
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, D-Mich., said Wednesday a decision by President George W. Bush that terrorist suspects might face a military tribunal adds to questions about civil liberties.
In a Nov. 14 letter to Committee Chairman Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., Conyers called for hearings on civil liberties, including an administration plan to monitor some defendants' communication with their lawyers, and the status of suspects detained in the government's investigations of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Conyers said Bush's Tuesday decision to establish military tribunals run by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld only adds to his concern.
"Indeed, the very purpose of the directive appears to be to skirt the usual constitutional and criminal justice rules that are the hallmark of our democratic form of government."
While Sensenbrenner did not return calls seeking comment, Conyers' request comes one day after United Press International reported that Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., might soon hold hearings on the new government policy on monitoring communication between defense attorneys and their clients, and the status of what lawmakers said could be 1,000 people detained by the government. Some of those detainees have reportedly been released.
Leahy twice sent letters to Attorney General John Ashcroft on the issues on Oct. 31 and Nov. 9.
"We also have received no cooperation from the Justice Department in our effort to obtain information regarding the 1,000 plus immigrants who have been detained in connection with the terrorism investigation, as reflected in a letter that several Democratic Members transmitted to the attorney general on Oct. 31, 2001," Conyers wrote to Sensenbrenner Wednesday. "We would be remiss in our duties, however, if we did not also oversee the extent to which the Department may be abusing its authority and wrongfully targeting innocent Americans."
Such as?? There are a lot of former and serving military who are very interested in hearing how their rights are severely restricted if they are brought up on charges. Please explain how the freedoms and rights they are fighting to protect don't extend to them.
What about someone who is married to a U.S. citizen and has children here, and pays taxes here, but maintains citizenship in a strange alien place like the U.K. for instance. Does she get rights at trial or do you just take her out and shoot her because she is a noncitizen.
There is absolutely no excuse for proposing not to give due process to anyone. That may not mean letting suspected terrorists out on the street on bail. But when due process is denied to anyone there is a very high probability due process can be denied to you some day.
Two-faced liberal demonRAT maggot!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And where's the justice and civil liberties for the 5,000 at the world trade center?
These kind of politicians make everybody sick. I think it's time for a Citizens For Better Government 'Hit Squad' to be implemented. (I meant, of course, a musical type DJ entourage - sure I did)
Let me rephrase it this way. More justice, fewer theatrics in military court.
Had an E-7 cauught running around nude with Saigon Bar Girl in Caravele Hotel hallway. Some a-hole State Dept female insisted he be courtmartialed for discrediting US, conduct unbecomming, etc.
Got Gmvt counsel (Am not lawyer, but lawyers were not guaranteed for defendants if gmvt counsel was officer but not lawyer) to agree to stipulate testimony of bar girl that they were just fooling around, kind of like "sporting around"
Then moved to dismiss on grounds of 1888 cavelry reg. that allowed NCOs and offiers to wear uniform appropriate to the sport in which they were engaged.
Was total BS, but President of the court wanted a way to let him walk and this gave it to him. Case dismissed.
Just FYI, the "Uniform" part is how the military justice is dispensed, i.e. regardless of rank or anything else(not that they wear a uniform), and it strictly applies to US servicemen just like civil law applies to us all, I don't think the UCMJ is going to be their guideline.
The process authorized by Bush does not have to be carried out in the US. Foriegn nationals detained outside the US and tried by these tribunals outside the US do not fall under any provisions of the US Constitution.
A reminder that formal extradition to the US from countries that do not exercise the death penality frequently requires that the US pledge not to execute the suspect, if convicted, prior to granting extradition. Questioning a suspect outside the US also excludes certain legal civilities imposed by law on all persons inside the US.
May God have mercy on your soul in the new Amerika based upon a mere suspicion.
This is NOT a non-issue.
The feds have already so broadly defined who a terrorist is, that ANY American could easily fall under its TERROR.
The RICO act was meant to be used against mafia members. It is now used to persecute pro-life protestors.
The asset forfieture laws were meant to be used against drug king pins. Now ALL Americans fall under its evil grasp.
THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT A NON ISSUE. Our government has shown time and again that it is more than willing to purvert laws from their intended purpose and turn them on US.
This is more evil Orwellian, unConstitutional manuvering, by the unholy, thoroughly corrupt screw-party system!
Excellent post. It is not only a very high probability that due process will be denied to all American citizens (and others) it is an absolute certainty! For the sake of convenience, some fat-assed politician can "appear" to be "tough on crime", just by labeling someone a "terrorist".
These treasonous pigs in DC will most definitely abuse this "law" if history is any indication.
These master-wanna-be's are so foriegn to the concepts embodied in the US Constitution, that they would have labeled our founding fathers as terrorists!
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