In a column not long ago, I proposed that we close Gitmo send all terror suspect detainees to the United Nations, but now I’ve changed my mind. We should send them to the U.S. Supreme Court for safe keeping — well, safe for the terror suspects, anyway.
The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that President Bush overstepped his authority in ordering military war crimes trials for Guantanamo Bay detainees. The ruling, a rebuke to the administration and its aggressive anti- terror policies, was written by Justice John Paul Stevens, who said the proposed trials were illegal under U.S. law and international Geneva conventions.
This actually means that Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a Yemeni who worked as a bodyguard and driver for Osama bin Laden, could be released, since he’s only got one charge against him — either that or he’ll have to be tried the “regular” way, and not by the military. You know what that means. What are the odds he was read his Miranda rights? Yep, you may be in this guy’s cab in Manhattan before too long. Watch your back, though.
I’ll predict that not only will Hamdan eventually be free, but he’ll end up suing the U.S. government for any second-hand smoke he endured while in the prison.
Chief Justice John Roberts didn’t vote on the decision, because as an appeals court judge he back the government over Hamdan. Heaven forbid we should have anybody familiar with the entire history of the case taking part.
The order to close Gitmo can’t be far behind, and if that happens, I think we should send all the terror suspects housed there to the Supreme Court offices for processing. It’s obviously the only place where they’ll get a fair shake.
Soldiers say that the fight in Iraq and Afghanistan is a tough go because sometimes you can’t tell who your enemy is based on outward appearance. Wait until they get home.
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