U.S. Military Using Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD's) in Iraq & Afghanistan!

[Better Believe It]

The Obama administration is charging the Times Square bombing suspect with exploding a car bomb which they describe as a Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD).

--------------------------------------------------

Attorney General Eric Holder at a Press Conference Regarding the Times Square Attempted Bombing
WASHINGTON, D.C. ~ Tuesday, May 4, 2010

"We anticipate charging him with an act of terrorism transcending national borders, attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, use of a destructive device during the commission of another crime, and explosives charges."

http://www.justice.gov/ag/speeches/2010/ag-speech-100504.html


Using the governments definition of WMD's under U.S. criminal law code in the above case, we would have to describe the thousands of U.S. bombs dropped in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan that have killed tens of thousands of civilians as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD's).

Of course, the government could describe the U.S. bombs detonated in the Middle East as merely "Weapons of Peace" that once in a blue moon might cause just a tiny bit of collateral damage. Or the government can conveniently use a different legal definition to describe U.S. bombs used against civilians in other nations. Use of the latter appears to be the case.

My comments of course don't excuse the alleged suspects actions. If guilty, he should be prosecuted and convicted to the maximum extent of the law. But, let's have one clear and reasonable government definition of WMD's.

------------------------------


The US Code provides several different definitions of weapons of mass destruction, applicable in different contexts:

For the purposes of US Criminal law concerning terrorism, weapons of mass destruction are defined as:

"any destructive device as defined in section 921 of this title;

The cited section 921 defines a destructive device as:

"any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas—bomb, grenade, rocket having a propellant charge of more than four ounces <113 grams>, missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce <7 grams>, mine, or device similar to any of the devices described in the preceding clauses...."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's definition is similar to that presented above from the terrorism statute:

"Any explosive or incendiary device, as defined in Title 18 USC, Section 921: bomb, grenade, rocket, missile, mine, or other device with a charge of more than four ounces;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weapons_of_mass_destruction

[pleah]

1. K&R

[Better Believe It]

2. For the night owls