Thursday, November 19, 2009

Justice Requires a Fair Trial

The decision to try terrorists in a court of law is not only correct, but long overdue. Again and again here I have appealed for precisely this step, since it is not possible to defend the American & Western civilization principles of democracy and justice against Islamist terrorists if we ourselves destroy those very principles to protect the system (which then no longer exists anyway) against them. Such denials of justice are precisely the aim of such fundamentalists determined to dismantle democracy and judicial proceedings in favor of sharia decisions based on concepts outdated for a thousand years. We must wake up and uphold our system of justice everywhere and always - "one nation, with justice and liberty for all."

Holder Defends Decision to Use Civilian Court for 9/11 Trial - NYTimes.com

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Wednesday defended his decision to prosecute five men accused as co-conspirators in the Sept. 11 attacks in federal court in Manhattan, declaring that while he believes “we are at war,” that the venue was the best place to pursue the case against them.
[...]
“We need not cower in the face of this enemy,” Mr. Holder said, testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Our institutions are strong, our infrastructure is ready, our resolve is firm, and our people are ready.”
[...]
Other Democratic senators largely praised Mr. Holder’s decision to use civilian court for some trials. Senator
Russ Feingold, Democrat of Wisconsin, said it “shows the world that this country stands firmly behind its legal system and the Constitution.”
[...]
In his testimony, Mr. Holder said that no one knew whether Mr. Mohammed still wanted to plead guilty, in a commission or otherwise.
“The determination I make on where I think we can best try these cases is not dependent on the whims or the desires of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed,” Mr. Holder said.

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