White House renews push for tribunals

[cec]

White House renews push for tribunals

By Kevin Johnson
USA Today

The Bush administration on Wednesday continued to push for a military tribunal system for foreign terrorism suspects that would bar them from access to classified evidence.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, also recommended that proposed legislation to create a tribunal system allow hearsay evidence and testimony obtained through coercion.
Gonzales said it also should limit defendants’ rights to confront their accusers.
His comments indicated that the White House is pressing ahead with plans for a tribunal system in which defendants’ rights would be significantly restricted, despite a recent Supreme Court ruling that criticized the plan to withhold some evidence from defendants.
In the ruling, the court struck down President Bush’s plan for tribunals, saying he had exceeded his authority by establishing the trial system in 2001 without Congress’ approval.
Now, the administration is asking Congress to endorse the harsh prosecution tactics the White House says are needed to try foreign terrorism suspects.
“In the midst of the current conflict, we must not share with captured terrorists the highly sensitive intelligence that may be relevant to military commission proceedings,” Gonzales told the panel.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he would “have a hard time” with legislation that would deny a defendant’s access to crucial evidence.
“If the only way we can try a terrorist is to disclose classified evidence . . . I would argue that we don’t do the trial,” he said.



http://www.airforcetimes.com/story.p...25-1998039.php

[Snowden]

Maybe I'm naive, but I think tribunals make more sense for terrorists. What they do is violent crime against man and country - theirs or some others. This goes well beyond 'simple' crime, I believe. They do consider themselves to be warriors, though not in an organized military. They should be tried as such, not as simple criminals out for self gratification or gain.

Just my opinion, but looking at what's happening in the world today, I don't see how we can miss that what these people are spreading is war, not just crime.

[odannyboy]

Be concerned, be very concerned.

A Bush administration plan for special military courts seeks to expand the reach and authority of such "commissions" to include trials, for the first time, of people who are not members of al-Qaeda or the Taliban and are not directly involved in acts of international terrorism, according to officials familiar with the proposal.

The plan, which would replace a military trial system ruled illegal by the Supreme Court in June, would also allow the secretary of defense to add crimes at will to those under the military court's jurisdiction. The two provisions would be likely to put more individuals than previously expected before military juries, officials and independent experts said.

The draft proposed legislation, set to be discussed at two Senate hearings today, is controversial inside and outside the administration because defendants would be denied many protections guaranteed by the civilian and traditional military criminal justice systems.

Under the proposed procedures, defendants would lack rights to confront accusers, exclude hearsay accusations, or bar evidence obtained through rough or coercive interrogations. They would not be guaranteed a public or speedy trial and would lack the right to choose their military counsel, who in turn would not be guaranteed equal access to evidence held by prosecutors.

Detainees would also not be guaranteed the right to be present at their own trials , if their absence is deemed necessary to protect national security or individuals.

Read the entire story:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...080101334.html

[Woodmonkey]

Terrorists and their supporters have set themselves outside of society. I agree with this.

Detainees would also not be guaranteed the right to be present at their own trials , if their absence is deemed necessary to protect national security or individuals.

Nothing wrong with that.