Padilla case gets stranger

[David S]

Padilla Makes First Court Appearance
Thursday, January 5, 2006 7:32 PM EST
The Associated Press
By CURT ANDERSON

MIAMI (AP) — Jose Padilla, the alleged al-Qaida operative held as an "enemy combatant" for more than three years, made his first appearance in court Thursday after he was taken from a Navy brig and flown to Miami.

The transfer from military to civilian custody began after a legal battle that went all the way to the Supreme Court.

Padilla, a former Chicago gang member, was arrested at Chicago's O'Hare Airport in May 2002 and held by the Bush administration without criminal charges on suspicion of plotting to detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb" inside the United States.

The U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to use Padilla's case to define the extent of presidential power over U.S. citizens who are detained on American soil on suspicion of terrorism. But before the high court could decide whether to take up the case, the Bush administration indicted Padilla in November in civilian court.

The charges do not involve the "dirty bomb" allegations, contending instead that Padilla joined a North American terror support network that sent him overseas to train with al-Qaida and to "murder, maim and kidnap" people on foreign soil.

The transfer of Padilla from military to civilian custody was approved Wednesday by the Supreme Court, which overruled the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The appeals court had refused to allow the transfer in a decision sharply critical of the Bush administration. It suggested the administration changed tactics and indicted Padilla to avert a ruling from the Supreme Court on presidential powers during wartime.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Basically, Bush is avoiding having the Supreme Court review his overall practice about "enemy combantants". Clearly there should be no such thing, the we're at war excuse is bullsh**t since the US hasn't been at war for over 60 years. If someone like Padilla is guilty, I'm sure it should be easy to get a civilian jury of 12 to convict him.

[David S]

If someone like Padilla is guilty, I'm sure it should be easy to get a civilian jury of 12 to convict him.

I would think so too. That makes it hard to understand why they didn't simply prosecute him.

[Richard]

Bush is evil, but sadly still better than Kerry.

[David S]

Bush is evil, but sadly still better than Kerry.

When you vote for the lesser of two evils you still get evil.