Jacob G. Hornberger of the Future of Freedom Foundation on Are Military Tribunals Worth Dying For?
Despite the fact that the U.S. government so far is not applying military tribunals to U.S. citizens, the stakes have now gone up for the American people. What began as a life-and-death issue for the federal government’s detainees at Guantanamo Bay has now been converted into a life-and-death issue for the American people. For al-Qaeda has now declared that if U.S. authorities follow though with their plan to try the detainees before military tribunals, especially for death-penalty offenses, Americans can expect more terrorist attacks akin to those of September 11.
Such attacks would greatly benefit the Administration, allowing it to once again manipulate a frightened populace into surrendering more liberties and allowing more war. These folks know what they're doing. Do not be deceived.
Each American must now ask himself a critical question: Are those military tribunals worth dying for and are they worth risking the lives of our friends, families, and countrymen?
The chickenshit hawk answer is YES! Their aim is power, not security. Ya'll have been had.
By basing prisoners in Cuba, U.S. officials hoped to avoid due process of law, effective assistance of counsel, trial by jury, the right to summon witnesses, the right to confront witnesses, and appellate review. Federal officials wanted a place in the world where they could be a law unto themselves — where they could be jailer, prosecutor, judge, and executioner and without having to answer to anyone or any law.
Is that what America is all about? What better evidence of utter contempt for the Constitution, our heritage of liberty and due process of law, and our way of life? Show me a bigger attack on our “freedom and values” than that.
I can't Jacob. These neo-cons and their apologists are traitors, liars and opportunists. Their actions will continue to cost American lives long after they've left their positions of power.