Real American justice comes from real American courts

[The Northerner]

When President Obama and Eric Holder succumbed to fierce bipartisan resistance to trying Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four other charged defendants – for the 9/11 massacre of Americans – in our civilian federal court system, they were defied by Michael Daly, a stubbornly independent columnist for the New York Daily News.

“The only right way” to bring them to justice, he wrote, “was with the very system they sought to destroy and so many courageous Americans have died defending. Instead, we lost faith in our own courts and laws.”

As Amnesty International reminds us, “Real justice comes from real courts.” On the same day, a lead editorial in the newspaper that employs Michael Daly insisted: “Trying KSM in civilian courts could have been a disaster, given their strict rules of evidence.” Evidence extracted by torture is indeed not accepted in our constitutional civilian courts.

The president explained his turnaround by emphasizing that Congress had passed a defense appropriations bill forbidding the use of federal funds to transfer any prisoners from Guantanamo to the United States, including to a civilian court.

Obama, murmuring that this congressional action was unconstitutional, nonetheless signed the bill. That reminded me of then-Sen. Obama’s solemn pledge that he would filibuster a Bush-administration measure extending and deepening government electronic surveillance of our personal communications.

Read more: http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/opinionperspectives/917774-263/real-american-justice-comes-from-real-american.html

[annabanana]

1. I wonder what would have happened if he'd fought this up to

THIS Supreme Court...

Not using civilian courts is a slap in the face to the whole concept of American Justice.