A former driver for Osama bin Laden was convicted of supporting terrorism, but the dismissal of conspiracy charges and his short sentence (he could be out in about five months, after getting credit for time served) are a major rejection of the U.S. government’s case. Prosecutors had sought at least 30 years and tried to portray Salim Hamdan as a hardened al-Qaida warrior.
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57 Comments
And
If he is released, and if he is captured, again, in the act of terrorism —
We can count on the Eagle and other liberals to claim that we “turned him into a terrorist”????
Sure!
Now if we could just catch Osama’s tailor!
I’m sure that Hamdan will have his own personal escort service of GPS/Satellite and predator ‘big brothers’ tracking his every movement on release.
The administration is already saying they’re going to keep holding him an “unlawful enemy combatant.”
This is pathetic. It would be funny if the consequences weren’t so grave.
The “supporting terrorism” charge was tacked on at the last minute so they had something that would stick. In essence, he was convicted of being bin Laden’s driver–period.
And, btw, the process by which the “trial” was conducted still wasn’t fair by US standards. WE should be thankful it was conducted under the watchful eye of the world.
“I was Obama’s Driver Best Buddy”
by Rage
Oh, I meant Osama
(chortles)
Ok, picture this:
Tony Soprano flies from NYC to LA, where his associates have ‘detained’ an informant. Tony cuts the informant’s tongue out then kills him and his family.
Tony’s limo driver who was arrested in Jersey and has never been to LA is on trial. Should he be held responsible for the tongue cutting and murders Tony committed in California?
#
brian_nuevo
Posted August 8, 2008 at 1:43 pm | Permalink
Ok, picture this:
Tony Soprano flies from NYC to LA, where his associates have ‘detained’ an informant. Tony cuts the informant’s tongue out then kills him and his family.
Tony’s limo driver who was arrested in Jersey and has never been to LA is on trial. Should he be held responsible for the tongue cutting and murders Tony committed in California?
=========================
Soprano is a TV character.
Osama Bin Laden and his associates are the real deal.
I just knew someone would post that.
Close your eyes and imagine, jackass.
He looks kind of chalky in the picture…
smokey in that picture too, maybe the prosecuter was Tommy Chong
#
brian_nuevo
Posted August 8, 2008 at 1:48 pm | Permalink
I just knew someone would post that.
Close your eyes and imagine, jackass.
——————————–
Close your eyes.
Which finger am I holding up?
And what happened to the “No Hat” policy?
When bush is charged with treason, should his cooks and bottle washers, driver and entire staff, get a little time too?
“Close your eyes.
Which finger am I holding up?”
I tried.
You did not have fingers, cloven hooves instead. That was f’n scary.
#
brian_nuevo
Posted August 8, 2008 at 2:17 pm | Permalink
“Close your eyes.
Which finger am I holding up?”
I tried.
You did not have fingers, cloven hooves instead. That was f’n scary.
=====================
That would be an incorrect answer.
I was holding up my little finger.
That is the finger for those who don’t deserve the best. :)
“Phantom
Posted August 8, 2008 at 1:55 pm | Permalink
When bush is charged with treason, should his cooks and bottle washers, driver and entire staff, get a little time too?”
The meaning of treason and traitors are determined by who wins.
Maybe they would be unlawful enemy combatants.
Regular
Posted August 8, 2008 at 2:19 pm | Permalink
“Close your eyes.
Which finger am I holding up?”
…
That would be an incorrect answer.
I was holding up my little finger.”
Your “little finger” eh?
Sure it is…
I bet you are holding up your “little finger” right now.
#
brian_nuevo
Posted August 8, 2008 at 2:24 pm | Permalink
Regular
Posted August 8, 2008 at 2:19 pm | Permalink
“Close your eyes.
Which finger am I holding up?”
…
That would be an incorrect answer.
I was holding up my little finger.”
Your “little finger” eh?
Sure it is…
I bet you are holding up your “little finger” right now.
===================
No, that would require two hands.
lmao
sure
Maybe I have been wrong about those held at Gitmo.
Maybe we SHOULD treat them like ordinary criminals, and put them in the general prison population, at any Federal prison.
That would solve the problem rather quickly!
Actually, it is usutally stupid to give a “trial” to those captured during combat operations.
If we insist on such things? It HAS to be in a “tribunal” enviroment, because we just can not allow our enemies to use court trials to gain intelligence advantages over us.
We can not allow our enemies to “confront” our spys, our intelligences officers and to question all of our combat troops, involved in the capture.
“Franklin
Posted August 8, 2008 at 2:30 pm | Permalink…..”
Whom exactly are our enemies? I might be inclined to agree with your concept if you could explain who specifically we are fighting against.
The bad guys, ali babba!
the evildoers?
I want to try to pick them out of a lineup, how will I know which they are?
the evildoers?
I want to try to pick them out of a lineup, how will I know which they are?
——
Beard, turbine, bombs, and they want you to DIE. You may hear the words, “Allah Akbar” as your blood hits the ground just before your head leaves your body.
They have websites. I suggest you check them out if you want a better, less personal description.
So why do I have to take my shoes off at the f’n airport? I look like an average American guy, no beard and no turbine.
Is there a lawfull enemy combatant?
brian_nuevo
Posted August 8, 2008 at 3:21 pm | Permalink
So why do I have to take my shoes off at the f’n airport? I look like an average American guy, no beard and no turbine.
——
Ask the airline or airport.
“ANTI
Posted August 8, 2008 at 3:19 pm | Permalink
They have websites. I suggest you check them out if you want a better, less personal description.”
I don’t want to show up in the big database in Washington of people who visit those websites. Hell, they are probably watching me already, I typed turban beard and airport it the same sentence.
Dammit did it again. I better go.
I don’t want to show up in the big database in Washington of people who visit those websites. Hell, they are probably watching me already, I typed turban beard and airport it the same sentence.
Dammit did it again. I better go.
—–
I have yet to encounter a problem.
So why do I have to take my shoes off at the f’n airport? I look like an average American guy, no beard and no turbine.
——
Did you have bat droppings on your shoulder? Was your left hand..uh…dirty?
Maybe we SHOULD treat them like ordinary criminals, and put them in the general prison population, at any Federal prison.
Since when is anyone in America accused of a crime held in a prison? Name one example.
That aside, holding people for years with no charges tends to be outside of the whole concept of laws to begin with.
It’s more properly called “kidnapping” and is a serious criminal offense in its own right.
We are not talking about Americans.
Identifying the “bad guys” actually requires, ya know, genuine detective work.
Some people, of course, already “knew” who the terrorists were:
On Saturday morning, Balbir Sodhi went to Costco where he had been named Businessman of the Year. Costco had sold out their American flags. While there, Sodhi spotted a Red Cross Fund for victims of September 11 and donated around $75, all the money he had in his pocket at the time. Then he went back to the gas station because the landscapers were coming. Sodhi was beautifying the spot with flowers and a lawn. The landscapers spend most of the morning working on the area around the station. They called Sodhi out to take a look at their work.
Frank Silva Roque, 42, who worked for Boeing’s helicopter division and had recently moved to Mesa from Alabama, drove up to the gas station in his pickup truck. Instead of stopping at one of the pumps, he drove straight up to Balbir Sodhi and shot him with a .380 calibre firearm. Three rounds hit him in the back. When police arrived at Roque’s mobile home he yelled, ‘I’m an American patriot, arrest me and let the terrorist go wild!’
http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/jun/19spec.htm
We are not talking about Americans.
Ah, I see: basic principles of justice just don’t apply when we’re talking about people who don’t have the privilege of citizenship!
People like you don’t deserve to live in this great country, but not to worry: people like me will continue to defend your rights, even as you stupidly cede them to defend your own bigotry.
Well Rage, you changed my mind. Hell, lets let them all go!
Well Rage, you changed my mind. Hell, lets let them all go!
Yet more proof of Krugman’s point.
Moron.
Saying the prisoners are not Americans is being a bigot? How so, Rage? Does that make me a Nazi too?
Do you have an answer for your hateful comment Rage?
Or are you just a sensationalist?
Saying the prisoners are not Americans is being a bigot?
Okay, I’ll play your little semantic game.
Say they’re not Americans.
So what? How is that relevant, legally, morally, procedurally, Constitutionally?
It sure looks like you were defending a diminished standard of justice based on citizenship status and country of origin. So if you’re not arguing for a diminished standard of justice based on citizenship status and country of origin, then. . .what the hell are you talking about?
How does that make me a bigot? How so, Rage? Does that make me a Nazi too?
Should our captured war time enemies be allowed access to our civilian courts Rage?
So, you admit you were defending a diminished standard of justice based on citizenship status and country of origin.
But that’s not bigotry! No, of course not: there are plenty of rational, unbigoted reasons to not give fair trials to people who come from other countries and haven’t become U.S. citizens!
Like. . .?
Captured enemies should be treated as per our military laws and policies NOT our civil laws and policies.
Should our captured war time enemies be allowed access to our civilian courts Rage? Should we impose out traffic laws on the enemy during combat?
<i.Should our captured war time enemies be allowed access to our civilian courts Rage?
Ah, back to the legal shell game. But of course they’re not “captured war time enemies” or they would be prisoners of war and the Geneva Convention would apply.
No, they’re “unlawful enemy combatants” and they’re so special they have their very own laws which conveniently avoid all those pesky Western standards of justice developed over the past 800 years. . . .
None of which explains which explains why being American or not is relevant. Jose Padilla and Yaser Hamdi were Americans!
TRY AGAIN.
He drove a frickin’ car, it’s not anymore a terrorist act than the guy who drives Bush’s limo. Not even Hitler’s driver was brought up on charges for driving a dictator around.
The fact that one of the most dangerous terrorists Bush managed to prosecute in a kangaroo court was a guy in Afghanistan who needed work and drove a guy’s car, is a sure sign Bush is failing.
Jose Padilla and Yaser Hamdi were Americans!
——
More like traitors. Do you sympathise with them Rage?
So should our unlawful enemy combatants be allowed access to our civilian courts Rage?
Crap, I gotta go. The cops just picked up my driver!
More like traitors. Do you sympathise with them Rage?
Okay, now this is getting embarrassing.
Go put some ointment on that, ANTI. I’m done with you! :)
So should our unlawful enemy combatants be allowed access to our civilian courts Rage??
Okay, now this is getting embarrassing.
——
You should be, you can’t answer for anything you say.
The panel hearing this case allowed Hamdan his time served in detention to go against his time sentenced. Thus, he will have to serve only 5 months. I think this was a clear message from the Judge panel, that they were not convinced that Hamdan was a hardened terrorist.
Who are the lawful enemy combatants?
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