Obama Weighs Plan Allowing 9/11 Suspects to Plead Guilty

[jefferson_dem]

Source: NYT

Obama Weighs Plan Allowing 9/11 Suspects to Plead Guilty
By WILLIAM GLABERSON

The Obama administration is considering a change in the law for the military commissions at the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, that would clear the way for detainees facing the death penalty to plead guilty without a full trial.

The provision could permit military prosecutors to avoid airing the details of brutal interrogation techniques. It could also allow the five detainees who have been charged with the Sept. 11 attacks to achieve their stated goal of pleading guilty to gain what they have called martyrdom.

The proposal, in a draft of legislation that would be submitted to Congress, has not been publicly disclosed. It was circulated to officials under restrictions requiring secrecy. People who have read or been briefed on it said it had been presented to Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates by an administration task force on detention.

The proposal would ease what has come to be recognized as the government’s difficult task of prosecuting men who have confessed to terrorism but whose cases present challenges. Much of the evidence against the men accused in the Sept. 11 case, as well as against other detainees, is believed to have come from confessions they gave during intense interrogations at secret C.I.A. prisons. In any proceeding, the reliability of those statements would be challenged, making trials difficult and drawing new political pressure over detainee treatment.

Some experts on the military commissions said such a proposal would raise new questions about the fairness of a system that has been criticized as permitting shortcuts to assure convictions.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/06/us/politics/06gitmo.h... ;emc=rss&pagewanted=print

[babylonsister]

1. So we'd never get the full story? Avoid airing

the details of brutal interrogation techniques? Hide what we did?

I don't like this.

[jody]

2. Plead Guilty to what? Let them go already, any true constitutional scholar knows what the past and

present presidents are doing to detainees is a moral crime and surely a violation of international law.

[starroute]

3. Why let people who *want* to be martyrs get their wish?

Doesn't that seem a bit counter-productive somehow?

[katandmoon]

12. If they're dead they can never reveal the details of their torture

[Jefferson23]

4. WTF is this?

[blueclown]

5. Change we can believe in?

What a joke.

[frog92969]

6. Yet another FAIL

If there's no admissible evidence, there's no case.

[MasonJar]

7. Boy, Obama keeps crossing the line to protect the torturers. What

a disastrous policy for the future of our nation.

[tabatha]

9. No, he is trying to close gitmo.

[Autumn]

8. That is just too stupid

why in the hell would anyone think that is a good idea?

[humbled_opinion]

10. Wow

All the Obama negativity here, it is attitudes like that which created Bushitler and gave rise to all these problems. If it solves the problem then so be it. Lets move on to the bigger problems this nation faces. Obama is trying to heal the war wounds and fix the problems at a higher level or don't you all get that?

[EFerrari]

13. Bigger than the rule of law?

Okay.

[humbled_opinion]

15. That is not what I said nor what I meant.

This is not a shortcut it is an idea that the Congress can debate to create law to apply or do you see the current GITMO situation as Black and White?

[EFerrari]

18. We have a justice system that has worked just fine for two hundred years.

And wasn't Obama's objection to Bush's program that is was ad hoc and created to skirt our system and our values?

[humbled_opinion]

19. touché...

The Wingnuts would most likely eat him alive over it politically, I just get depressed hearing the negativity when the man is trying his damndest to undo huge problems. He needs our support.

[EFerrari]

21. I understand that. There is going to be tension --

Bush left the whole government mined for Obama.

[choie]

35. if he's trying to undo huge problems,

then he shouldn't continue harming our constitution - or isn't that considered important anymore?

[Autumn]

14. I'm sorry, if you break

your leg do you cut it off ? How does that heal the wounds?

[blueclown]

16. If you are looking for a bunch of lemmings following a president off a cliff...

... you might want to try Free Republic.

We are critical of our president when need be. This is one of those instances.

[humbled_opinion]

17. Critical yes...

No one offers any ideas just harsh criticism for the man that is trying to undo the work of madmen.

[coalition_unwilling]

23. Here's an idea: if you have legally

admissible evidence, then charge the detainees in criminal court.

If your evidence was obtained through torture, then set the detainees free and pay them reparations for your own violations of international law.

Q.E.D.

[Uzybone]

24. KSM the mastermind of 9/11 will never be set free

only a fool will think that can happen.

Then of course if you (as in conspiracy theorists in general, not you the poster) believe 9/11 was an inside job then KSM is guilty of nothing.

Its a tough spot....no matter how simple some want to say it is. The US is not going to set free the self confessed mastermind of 9/11 on technicalities (yes I know we broke our own laws torturing him). At the same time we want some pretense of abiding with the law even though the past admin has made than damn near impossible.

[coalition_unwilling]

26. Is the evidence against KSM

legally admissible in a court of law?

If so, then charge him.

Obtained through torture, you say? Then sorry, "poisoned fruit" and all that.

Why else do you think Obama is keeping the kangaroo courts (aka "military commissions")in session than to deny these detainees due process?

It's really disgusting watching Obama sell us out, along with his own principles. At least with Hillary, we knew we were getting a pig. To think I held an Obama sign before the election -- I was punked.

[alarimer]

33. THIS is not undoing that work.

THIS is continuing that work and, even, doing it worse. IF he does this, he can go to hell. I have had enough of this undemocratic bullshit.

[PSPS]

25. Yes, you're right. Let's just murder these people and "go forward."

Never mind they're just goat herders "turned in" for the $5,000 per head we were offering, and they decided to admit to anything to stop the torture. Who cares about their lives so long as we can all "come to Obama!!111!!"

[Demeter]

29. the End Doesn't Even Justify the End, Let alone the Means!

[katandmoon]

11. Win-win for Obama AND the terrorists! LOSE for the rest of us!

[pjt7]

20. Obama has to gag these prisoners

#1 Some of them are going to show that 9.11 was phoney

#2 They have been tortured

[Wizard777]

22. I'm appalled and disappointed by this. It's entirely counterproductive.

What's the reasoning behind this? He can't release the torture photo's because it will outrage people and endanger our troops. But apparently he doesn't have a problem with making these men Martyrs. Which will encourage and embolden the extremists and endanger our troops. This simply is not a suitable solution to the question of what to do with them.

Also I would really hate to see this endanger or wipe out all the good will he just earned in his Middle East tour. He has to up hold American law. But maybe he should take a cue from Islamic law. Ask the victims and the families of the victims their position on this. It's symbolic, unofficial and nonbinding. But it could have some diplomatic value. At least then he can say I tried to look at this through your eyes with your ways. As part of my decision making process. But ultimately I have to uphold American law. That shows a respect that could combat perceived, purported or extremist promoted disrespect. But the Republicans would batter him for showing that respect.

[Politicalboi]

27. This is shit

I thought Obama taught Constitutional Law? Now I know why he didn't change the rug in the oval office. He's hiding all the shit Bush/Cheney swept under it.

[Solly Mack]

28. Uh...Damn K&R

How...neat.


Damn

"Some experts on the military commissions said such a proposal would raise new questions about the fairness of a system ..."

Ya think?

[Xipe Totec]

30. Were the guilty pleas waterboarded too?

see? It works!

[rschop]

31. re Obama Weighs Plan Allowing 9/11 Suspects to Plead Guilty

"The Obama administration is considering a change in the law for the military commissions at the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, that would clear the way for detainees facing the death penalty to plead guilty without a full trial."

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!

Any and all contact with KSM has been limited to only the CIA, the military and the Red Cross which was sworn to absolute secrecy. KSM in court is always held behind sound proof glass, and anything KSM says in court is run through an electronic delay and can be turned off immediately if he said anything that would jeopardize what is now called our "national security".

So exactly what is it that he could say that would be so dangerous to the national security of the US, 7 1/2 years after the attacks on 9/11?

What is it that the US government is so afraid of that he might say that they are now figuring out a way to put him to death with no trial, no further testimony from him ever, nothing, so whatever he knows is never revealed to the American people and is kept hidden forever.

I challenge anyone to guess what exactly this information is.

One great big humongous hint.

Was this the same information that Sandy Berger was stealing from of the US National archives, in fact stuffing right down his pants, just before he was to testify before the 9/11 Commission?

What was the information that was in these archives that was so horrendous Berger would literally major commit numerous felonies, that would send him to US federal prison for years, to make sure that this information was never exposed to the American public by the 9/11 Commission.

Is this the same information that the US government now wants KSM to take to the grave so it will never ever be exposed?

Think about it!

[rschop]

32. K&R

[No Elephants]

34. A guilty plea obtained from people who have been tortured is no more valid than a confession

obtained as a result of torture.

This is so disheartening.