Former Libertarian Party Presidential candidate Bob Barr was joined by David Keene, founder of the American Conservative Union, and Grover Norquist, President of Americans For Tax Reform, along with others in endorsing the Obama Administration’s recent moves in the War On Terror
As it moves to close Guantanamo and develop policies for handling terrorism suspects going forward, the government should rely upon our established, traditional system of justice. This includes our system of federal prisons, which have repeatedly proven they can safely hold persons convicted of terrorism offenses.
We are confident that the government can preserve national security without resorting to sweeping and radical departures from an American constitutional tradition that has served us effectively for over two centuries.
Civilian federal courts are the proper forum for terrorism cases. Civilian prisons are the safe, cost effective and appropriate venue to hold persons convicted in federal courts. Over the last two decades, federal courts constituted under Article III of the U.S. Constitution have proven capable of trying a wide array of terrorism cases, without sacrificing either national security or fair trial standards.
Likewise the federal prison system has proven itself fully capable of safely holding literally hundreds of convicted terrorists with no threat or danger to the surrounding community.
The scaremongering about these issues should stop.
Using a state of the art but little used prison facility like the one at Thomson, Illinois – with any appropriate security upgrades our law enforcement professionals deem necessary – makes good sense for the tax payers who invested $145 million in the facility and who are seeing millions wasted every month at the costly, inefficient Guantanamo facility. It makes sense for the community which will benefit from the related employment and has absolutely no reason to fear that prisoners will escape or be released into their communities.
But most of all it makes sense for America because it is a critical link in the process of closing Guantanamo and getting this country back to using its tried and true, constitutionally sound institutions.
Well said.
November 17th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Can’t say I have understood all the NIMBY hysteria about these prisoners. What do they think they’re going to do in prison – hijack an airplane and crash it?
November 17th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Federal courts aren’t the place for their trials. In fact, if that’s such a great idea, how come no prisoners from any previous war were tried in federal courts?
What was it KSM said in his first few interogations? I’ll answer questions when I get to New York and get a lawyer. He’s going to get his wish. And my guess is a half decent law student would find a way to get 90% of the evidence against him squashed.
I’d like KSM dead, but I’d like almost as much to have his show trial blow up in Eric Holder and BO’s faces.
November 17th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
@ Crazypolitico – Terrorism isn’t an act of war, it is a crime that often involves mass murder. 195 terrorists have been tried and convicted in US Civilian courts since 2002. If we hadn’t have tortured these people in violation of law then we wouldn’t have to worry about where the evidence came from now would we.
Doug, I’m confused, are you for or against the idea of these guys being tried in civilian court?
November 17th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
My understanding is that the problem lies with sensitive information getting into the hands of the defense lawyer and/or the general public. There are many cases of sources being comprimised during the trials of terrorists. Hopefully they can keep things underwrap, but history suggests otherwise.