Trying to thread a needle with a garden hose: U.S. May Permit 9/11 Guilty Pleas in Capital Cases

[Uzybone]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/06/us/politics/06gitmo.html?hp


"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.

Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Ramzi Bin al-Shibh and Walid Bin Attash are among the detainees charged as planners of the Sept. 11 attacks, the only death penalty case before a military judge.

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."

[Ian David]

1. We should reduce their sentence in return for the guilty plea, and deny them their martyrdom. n/t

[jeanpalmer]

2. By all means

we should take the martyrdom route. Anything to speed up the executions and avoid airing the details of brutal interrogation techniques. Put them on the fast track to the virgins...this is what our counry is about, now.

[scentopine]

3. Public trial, pubic evidence, rule of law

We have a couple hundred "detainees" who have been tortured for years. Now we are streamlining their execution. Here is the choice, spend another 10 years being sodomized and tortured by US soldiers, CIA employees and contractors in an shabby cell in a military prison with no chance for a trial or die a hero to millions of extremists?

The true test of character is deeds not words. This is a moral and ethical catastrophe for Obama and America. Love the new puppy all you want, I no longer trust him. He has been empowered to bring this episode to a dignified conclusion. Instead he walked away from it and gave amnesty to all involved. This makes him as much of a contributor as anyone in the previous 8 years. I've heard enough flowery rhetoric.

[Uzybone]

6. According to the article, only 5 detainees are capital cases

not "hundreds". There is too much overinflation of numbers on these serious issues by all parties.


"The military commission system has been effectively halted since January while the administration considers its options. The only death penalty case now before a military judge is the case against the five detainees charged as the planners of the Sept. 11 attack, including the self-proclaimed mastermind, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed."

[scentopine]

9. The total number detained is between 200 and 250

I didn't blow anything out of proportion. I agree that the number of executions at stake at this time is small. So what? The death of anyone not given the opportunity at fair trial with evidence and representation is unacceptable even if it is inconvenient to our popular president and his most ardent supporters.

With the opportunity to confess guilt, why wouldn't others happily confess guilt to keep from spending a life time of abuse at the hands of military police, CIA operatives and their contractors. It is immoral, unethical and the most egregious violation of the values that formed our nation. This is pure politic capitulation to the worst elements of American society.

[Arkana]

4. Don't execute these people--it's what they want.

Put them in solitary confinement for the rest of their lives--they're megalomaniacs who need to have an audience, and having only themselves to talk to will drive them insane...a far, far more effective punishment than a needle in the arm.

[Uzybone]

7. They should be executed if the law calls for it

but we should have full trials and evidence. The problem is that Bush Admin completely poisoned all the evidence that we have against these guys so now its impossible to try them through normal procedures without the huge possibility that the evidence is thrown out or there is a mistrial.

What to do?

We certainly aren't going to release them are we? Does anyone think that is possible?

[rug]

5. The detainess can now plead Guilty, Not Guilty or Please Kill Me?

[Jennicut]

8. The question I have is why didn't Bush ever decide what to do with these people?

Oh yeah, that's right, let the next President decide what to do.
I don't think executing them is the right thing, they should sit inside a jail cell for the rest of their lives. They are far from "martyrs" if they helped the 9/11 attackers.