The so called high powered republicans and their ally at the Fox News Network has lined up against President Obama's Justice Department's decision to try four terror suspects involved in the 9-11 attacks in civilian court. They are predicting a possible acquittal, exposure of CIA secrets concerning detention and torture and of course a big propaganda victory for Al Queda. They must have conveniently forgot about Abu Ghraib.
They want a military tribunal as the venue to try those cases but they forgot one thing. Military Tribunals have laws, rules and regulations to follow also. Now we find a judge in Guantanamo Bay's war crimes court has denied a request by military prosecutors to expand their case against a Sudanese detainee accused of being a body guard for Bin Laden. Air Force Lt. Col. Nancy Paul, the judge ruled that making significant additions to the charge sheet "fundamentally" alters the referred charges and would not be allowed. This from a military court.
Once again the anti Obama people opened their mouth too soon and followed their script of opposing anything coming out of the Obama administration. After seven years of failure by the Bush administration to bring those terrorists to justice, the present administration is doing something about it, that is why the republicans are so angry.
Civilian courts are no strangers to trying terrorists and handing down guilty verdicts. Military and civilian courts both have their advantages and disadvantages and in this case the Justice Department should be given the opportunity to pursue the matter to trial. The sooner the better.
I can see the republicans and the people at Fox News turning red when they read Lt. Col. Nancy Pauls's decision. They must have gone bananas.
