On Mon, Dec 03, 2001 at 01:41:37PM -0600, Dan Minette wrote: > So, I will not be upset if we hold less than a score of military > trials for AQ members we capture in Afganistan. I would be upset > if the trials were secret, but I would not be upset if we used > information that we did not make public.
What about people who have been living in the US who are arrested and held without a just cause? > Do you agree that there is a difference between handling agents of a > foreign power send to attack the United States without openly bearing > their arms and handling a crime committed for individual reasons? Not if it means assuming guilt without a fair trial, which is implied by your statement. > Now, there is a risk of a witch hunt for foreigners, I realize that. > That's why numbers are important. If a handful of foreigners in > the US were tried openly in military courts, then I wouldn't be too > worried about that. If all those still detained on visa violations are > tried that way, I'd be worried. I feel strongly that this is a dehumanizing line of reasoning. It is okay to deny human rights as long as it is just a small number of people, and as long as they aren't my friends or family. > The constitution is a document the defines the relationship of the > government of the United States to the citizens of the United States. Actually, it is the law of the US, and as such, sets forth how the US government may behave. It is surely reasonable to have rules in the Constitution about how the government may deal with non-Americans. -- "Erik Reuter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.erikreuter.com/
