Comments on: In Search of Freedom http://infidelity.blogsome.com/2008/09/05/in-search-of-freedom/ Colin Bossen's blog on liberal theology, Unitarian Universalism, politics and culture. Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:08:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Bill Baar http://infidelity.blogsome.com/2008/09/05/in-search-of-freedom/#comment-39 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:43:28 +0100 http://infidelity.blogsome.com/2008/09/05/in-search-of-freedom/#comment-39 I don't think the war on terror will last 17 years, and those held now eventually released. I think trying combatants as criminals violates the rules-of-war...international law... I would not have tried Reed or Padilla... I would keep them for the duration of the war. Same goes for Bin Laden... if Bin Laden came out of his cave and surrendered... said the Jihad was over... I'd probably send everyone home... even if they didn't want to go... Bin Laden surrendering Bin Laden would present a difficult case as to what to do with him, but I have no doubt a trial for him would be a travesty...a sham... I don’t think the war on terror will last 17 years, and those held now eventually released.

I think trying combatants as criminals violates the rules-of-war…international law… I would not have tried Reed or Padilla… I would keep them for the duration of the war.

Same goes for Bin Laden… if Bin Laden came out of his cave and surrendered… said the Jihad was over… I’d probably send everyone home… even if they didn’t want to go… Bin Laden surrendering Bin Laden would present a difficult case as to what to do with him, but I have no doubt a trial for him would be a travesty…a sham…

]]> by: Patrick McLaughlin http://infidelity.blogsome.com/2008/09/05/in-search-of-freedom/#comment-37 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:42:49 +0100 http://infidelity.blogsome.com/2008/09/05/in-search-of-freedom/#comment-37 Bill, you're guessing that he'd be in Gitmo for under 17 years? Nah. You see, he wasn't offered POW status--he got that bullshit status created by the administration "unlawful combatant" or some such. The Geneva Conventions (quaint, no longer relevant...) don't cover the treatment of such folks. You miss the key point, Bill. That is that everyone (everyone) should be treated within the law, always. That's what protects you and me and the rest--that the government never, ever has "justification" for deciding that anyone's outside the law.... Nuremburg was just a show trial, is what you're saying? But Gitmo's military tribunal isn't? Bill, you’re guessing that he’d be in Gitmo for under 17 years?

Nah. You see, he wasn’t offered POW status–he got that bullshit status created by the administration “unlawful combatant” or some such. The Geneva Conventions (quaint, no longer relevant…) don’t cover the treatment of such folks.

You miss the key point, Bill. That is that everyone (everyone) should be treated within the law, always. That’s what protects you and me and the rest–that the government never, ever has “justification” for deciding that anyone’s outside the law….

Nuremburg was just a show trial, is what you’re saying? But Gitmo’s military tribunal isn’t?

]]> by: Bill Baar http://infidelity.blogsome.com/2008/09/05/in-search-of-freedom/#comment-36 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:08:35 +0100 http://infidelity.blogsome.com/2008/09/05/in-search-of-freedom/#comment-36 Participating in an armed conflict against a foe is not a crime. That's what Bin Laden considers himself to be doing and I think he's right. He fights outside the rules of war, and therefore entitled to little save death, or capture and dention. But a trial would just be a sham, and if death sentenced; a judical lynching. Consider Jose Padiall convicted and sentenced to 17 years imprisonment. I'm betting he would have been better off held in Gitmo as a POW for the duration of the war; which I suspect will be less than 17 years. Participating in an armed conflict against a foe is not a crime. That’s what Bin Laden considers himself to be doing and I think he’s right.

He fights outside the rules of war, and therefore entitled to little save death, or capture and dention. But a trial would just be a sham, and if death sentenced; a judical lynching.

Consider Jose Padiall convicted and sentenced to 17 years imprisonment. I’m betting he would have been better off held in Gitmo as a POW for the duration of the war; which I suspect will be less than 17 years.

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