Jose, Interrupted: Where Is Terrorist Jose Padilla?

Friends of Liberty ^

[dighton]

From Willie Horton to Iran-Contra to Watergate, the lessons of almost every major political snow job of the past quarter-century were mined to yield a bag of tricks used flawlessly and compellingly for three short weeks— three weeks that ended with an American citizen still in jail, without any possibility of a trial, for what may be the rest of his life.

For 10,000 FReeper points, what is Matt Taibbi? For 5,000 bonus points, why should I take him seriously?

[thepitts]

better to be safe than sorry

How does that mesh with"liberty and justice for all"?

[habaes corpussel]

"For 10,000 FReeper points, what is Matt Taibbi? For 5,000 bonus points, why should I take him seriously?"

Not because of his political views, but because of his Constitutional views. That is why you need to take him seriously. If you can't see the more inportant points then why should you be taken seriously?

[mrsmith]

WHAT A LOAD OF BULL!

The Constitution guarantees everybody in this country due process of law, including the right of habeas corpus. This combatant, like any other citizen, is taking full advantage of that:

Jose Padilla v. U.S.

• Petitioner's Reply to Motion to Dismiss Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus (Jose Padilla v. George W. Bush, et. al) (PDF) July 12, 2002
• Brief of Amici Curiae By The New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. (Jose Padilla v. George W. Bush, et. al) (PDF) July 2002
• Motion to Dismiss Amended Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus (Jose Padilla v. George W. Bush, et. al) (PDF) June 26, 02
• Amended Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus (Jose Padilla v. George W. Bush, et. al) (PDF) June 19, 2002
• Order (PDF) June 12, 2002
• Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus (PDF) Accused of plotting to smuggle and detonate a "dirty bomb" into the United States. June 11, 2002
  

[habaes corpussel]

I will not start again. Though you are correct by saying the Constitution allows for a petition of Habeas Corpus, it also does not allow for the Government to take the excessive actions it has. I would love to see you sit in jail under these circumstances and say your rights are being protected.

BTW, where is that Petition for the Great Writ sitting right now? In the same situation as Padella. I would bet that if this was the son of some rich guy this petition would be fast tracked in warp speed.

[Suzie_Cue]

I would bet the Rigas family’s offshore holdings that before this year is over, the Bush administration will use the Padilla story to make an explicit connection between urban American street gangs (read: poor nonwhite criminals) and terrorism.

U.S. gangs linked to terrorism

At least one member of the group under investigation in Seattle converted to Islam while serving time in a Washington state prison. Now federal authorities are taking a close look at this question: Could it be that prison is one of the most fertile breeding grounds for future terrorists? FBI officials think there could be a real connection.

“There is a dangerous element out there,” says Ali, “that can influence young people if we don’t monitor and keep an observation on which Islam is being taught.”

If the terrorists hate us for our freedoms….
The simple solution is to take our freedoms away

[dighton]

Not because of his political views, but because of his Constitutional views. That is why you need to take him seriously. If you can't see the more inportant points then why should you be taken seriously?

Fair enough.

Knowing of your background in military law (right?), I'll gladly give your views a respectful hearing. Having encountered Taibbi before, and having sized him up as a leftist or anarchist loon, I refuse to waste much time on him. Life is short.

As for my being taken seriously, I'd be impudent and foolish to demand it. That is earned or isn't.

[mrsmith]

"I will not start again.... "
Yeah, LOL!
"...does not allow for the Government to take the excessive actions it has. "

Sure, the congress has no war powers and they can't authorize the president to use them anyway.
I can't imagine why no one else reads the Constitution that way. ROFLMAO!

[wku man]

"If anyone thinks that we had a Constitutional Crisis during the 2000 Elections does not know what a Constitutional Crisis is."

Beg to differ, newbie. Just because our civil rights and freedoms are being threatened by this so-called "war" is no reason to diminish what happened following the 2000 elections. I highly recommend you read "At All Coasts: How Al Gore Tried to Steal the Election" by Bill Sammon. I finished it a week ago, and still have my head wrapped in duct tape to keep it from exploding. Granted, current events are ominous enough, but let's not forget the past, because November is right around the corner, and 2004 ain't that far away, either!

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[habaes corpussel]

Your question on Taibbi has merit. It is the issues at hand that are more important. But just because Taibbi is a knothead does not mean the Constitutional points he raises are not vaild. The administration is allowing for knotsheads to take full advantage of serious issues such as these by not conforming to law and excessively abusing them. That is the point. Qualify your statements. Take Taibbi apart on his political views indeed he deserves it 95% of the time. But also give him his due when valid points are made.

I am not defending Padella. I am defending the process. What I know of this case, Padella should be put away. But put away by a Court or a Commission. Not by an Executive Order.

[habaes corpussel]

"Beg to differ, newbie. Just because our civil rights and freedoms are being threatened by this so-called "war" is no reason to diminish what happened following the 2000 elections. I highly recommend you read "At All Coasts: How Al Gore Tried to Steal the Election" by Bill Sammon. I finished it a week ago, and still have my head wrapped in duct tape to keep it from exploding. Granted, current events are ominous enough, but let's not forget the past, because November is right around the corner, and 2004 ain't that far away, either!"

The process surrounding the 2002 Election worked as provided by law and it worked quickly. I did not want to see Gore elected either. But there was no Constitutional Crisis either. The Country "Politically" speaking has not changed much since the 2000 Election either. So the odds are that we might see another close election. The War on Terror and the economy will be the deciding issues.

The loss of civil liberites is far more a Constitutional crisis than any election and it can become a focus of deciding that election. That is a danger.

[habaes corpussel]

"Sure, the congress has no war powers and they can't authorize the president to use them anyway. I can't imagine why no one else reads the Constitution that way. ROFLMAO!"

Sure and a Court will decide that issue one of these days. One of these days. ROFLMAO....But I bet one American Citizen is not ROFLMAO. Nor should anyone else.

[habaes corpussel]

"At least one member of the group under investigation in Seattle converted to Islam while serving time in a Washington state prison. Now federal authorities are taking a close look at this question: Could it be that prison is one of the most fertile breeding grounds for future terrorists? FBI officials think there could be a real connection."

Don't overlook the US Military either......Do not be surprised either...

[palmer]

I think your points are correct. We all lose when individuals lose their constitutional protections. Our "war on terrorism" is not being fought on the battlefield where victories are measurable and verifiable. Rather it is being fought by bureaucrats more suited to defending budgets than defending the country.

As I have said before, we will see more "easy pickings" like Padilla busted for propaganda purposes while real threats like a porous border remain unaddressed. Other challenges to the constitution like TIPS ignore the fact that we had plenty of data before 9/11 and couldn't properly use it. Rather than overhaul the expensive and useless agencies, we simply give them even more data in violation of the 4th amendment.

[wku man]

"The process surrounding the 2002 Election worked as provided by law and it worked quickly. I did not want to see Gore elected either. But there was no Constitutional Crisis either."

Again, bro, read the book. There's so much that went on that either didn't get covered, or got scant coverage. There was a constitutional crisis of large proportions, it just wasn't as obvious as the anti-Patriot Act, 245i, CFR, Operation TIPS, etc. Yeah, the system eventually worked, but not before it was stretched and pulled to the breaking point. But having the short attention span that we Americans do, we've already forgotten about what had been the biggest story of my lifetime (born in '65) until 9-11. It will come back to bite us in the collective ass, because we've forgotten already.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[AdamSelene235]

"For 10,000 FReeper points, what is Matt Taibbi? For 5,000 bonus points, why should I take him seriously?"

He's a writer for the virulently anti-American (actually I think they hate everything) paper, The Exile, based in Moscow.

What do I win?

[buffyt]

Like Alejandro Avila, they should have never let him out of jail either. They did, and he killed Samantha Runnion! Some guys should NEVER get out!

[Inkie]

Hopefully, he is at Guantanamo getting tortured into revealing the truth about Oklahoma City and the whereabouts of every last one of his em-effing Al Qaeda sleeper friends living in this blessed country.

[eshu]

I love it! The Bill of Rights has been effectively neutered and all the Bushbots can do is post JPEGs of friggin' football uniforms....

Wait 'til Hilary gets elected in 2004 and starts declaring American citizens "enemy combatants" on the recommendation of some sort of UN advisory board - I'll laugh and do a little jig as you all gripe and sob with nostalgic regret for the freedoms you so cheerfully abandoned way back in 2002...

[general_re]

For 10,000 FReeper points, what is Matt Taibbi?

Matt's exactly what he says he is - a former writer for an expat rag in Moscow, who has now settled about a stone's throw from me and started a paper, apparently on the theory that the extant "alternative" press in Buffalo isn't "edgy" enough. The working definition of "edgy" being "acting like an a**hole in public", of course.

That's 10,000 points to me.

For 5,000 bonus points, why should I take him seriously?

Don't. To wit: The Beast's attempt at humor. Mind you don't cut your fingers, now - that's some powerfully "edgy" stuff...

15,000 points and I'm ready for the bonus round...