America For Purchase

United States Attorney General Eric Holder announced November 13, 2009, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the self-described mastermind of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and four others, Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, Walid bin Attash, Ramzi bin al-Shibh and Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi, would face Federal Charges in the U.S. Federal Court in New York.

“For over 200 years our nation has relied on a faithful adherence to the rule of law to bring criminals to justice and to provide accountability to victims. Once again we will ask our legal system in two venues to rise to that challenge. I am confident that it will answer the call with fairness and with justice,” Holder added.

Former Rep. Tom Andrews, director of the National Campaign to Close Guantanamo, said “the U.S. courts have already proved themselves capable of ensuring terrorist convictions, though he seemingly declined to classify Mohammed and the others as terrorists.”“One hundred ninety-five terrorists have been convicted in U.S. federal courts since 2001. The terrorists who bombed the World Trade Center in 1993 were tried and convicted in U.S. courts and are now locked away in a federal supermax prison,” Andrews said.  Republicans were silent!

“Those responsible for 9/11 are not warriors; they are criminals and mass murderers. Treating them as anything else plays into Al Qaeda’s hands and rewards them an elevated status that only stokes their desire for ‘martyrdom.’ They need to be subjected to the full force of law and justice, nothing less,” he added.

Of course, the yellow skin of the Republican Teabag Party came out swinging, wringing their limp wrists doing what they do best, and cowering in the face of United States Jurist Prudence.

As President Obama’s Attorney General laid out plans to prosecute these terrorists, the pseudo Republican Teabag Party leader, Rush Limbaugh went on yet, another daily tirade against the President, the Attorney General and the United States. Rush Limbaugh said “what’s going to end up on trial here is the United States, the CIA, our interrogation techniques, all of this is being done to satisfy the rabid radical far Left that hates this country, that hates George W. Bush, that hates the U.S. military.”

No wonder Rush runs scared, he ran like a fat jack rabbit to avoid military service!  And then there are the ‘other’ Republicans, the ones whose motto is fear-mongering.

Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky asserted that civilian trials risk “compromising sensitive information,” present “logistical and security nightmares for American cities” and would give terrorism suspects additional legal rights and said Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to try 9-11 suspects in civilian court in New York City is a “step backward for our national security” and could lead to classified intelligence being made available to terrorists.

Then there is Sen. Joe Lieberman from Connecticut, the one who opposes health care for the 44,000 Americans who die from lack of it each year, saying “It is “inconceivable” that the U.S. would bring the alleged terrorist masterminds of the Sept. 11 attacks to New York for trial.”

Republican Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona said that bringing Mohammed to New York is an “unnecessary risk that could also lead to the disclosure of classified information.”

Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio, the one who does not know the difference between the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, called the Administration’s actions “irresponsible”. But Boehner is the one irresponsible for avoiding military service for his country.

And finally that infamous Sen. John Cornyn, of the secessionist-wanna-be state of Texas, who condemned the move as putting “political ideology ahead of the safety of the American people just to fulfill an ill-conceived campaign promise.” Cornyn implies the police, FBI, CIA and other civilian security forces cannot protect New Yorkers from these 5 men.

These are the ‘men’ who placed brave American soldiers in harm’s way for Bush’s war in Iraq based on the lies of ‘weapons of mass destruction’.  Of course the same bravery of our military cannot be found in these Republicans.  In a war they initiated, based on false hoods, lies and deception of the American people, that caused the deaths of thousands of America’s finest, they now want to turn ‘chicken’ when faced with those captured during the Bush/Cheney war are brought to trial under Article III of the U. S. Constitution

In fact, these Republican teabaggers are so scared that earlier this year, they introduced H.R. 2294, the Keep Terrorists Out of America Act, which would stop the transfer or release of terrorists held at the Guantanamo Bay prison into the United States. Wisely it was defeated.  They are U.S. prisoners and they want to pass them on to someone else, just as they passed the largest debt on to American taxpayers.  They avoid any accountability, as they dishonor the U.S. Constitution, U.S. Soldiers and the U.S. Justice system.

Rep. Jim Moran Democrat of Virginia has strong words for the Republicans opposing Attorney General Eric Holder’s plan to bring five 9/11 suspects to New York City to face trial.  “They see this as an opportunity to demagogue,” he said. “They will seize on any opportunity to do that, and that means they’ll even take a stand that’s un-American. It’s un-American to hold anyone indefinitely without trial,” Moran added. “It’s against our principles as a nation.”

Democrat Patrick Leahy of Vermont said that “federal courts are capable of trying high-profile terror cases.  Putting the self-proclaimed 9/11 mastermind and the other suspects on trial in federal courts demonstrates to the world that the most powerful nation on earth also trusts its judicial system,” he added.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg released a statement supporting the decision: “It is fitting that 9-11 suspects face justice near the World Trade Center site where so many New Yorkers were murdered, New York City stands ready to assist the federal court in the administration of justice in any way necessary.”

Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, said “Bottom line is we have had terrorists housed in New York before, they’ve been housed safely.”

Jonathan Turley, law professor at George Washington University, said “What makes us safer is to offer the world an alternative to these men; to show that we are not the hypocrites that we appeared during the Bush Administration.”

The overall message from the Republican Teabag Party is still the same, Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid!

These are yet more examples of why Americans should never vote for Republicans who hide behind obstructionism and are devoid of American values and principles and have no faith in the U.S. Constitution all of which made this country great.  They believe the American justice system is flawed.  The Party of Lincoln died long ago, buried in a pile of teabags, name calling, deceit and fear-mongering.

Finally the United States of America stands for justice, liberty and the American Way. This nation is a nation of laws, (we have the largest prison population on the planet to prove it); it was the Bush Administration who skirted the law for their own political gain.  We must never forget, the worst attack on American soil occurred under a Republican Administration.

photo courtesy of Scott MacCallum

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