Federal court: Bush can indefinitely detain civilians

Raw Story
Wednesday, July 16, 2008

A federal court has issued two rulings, the New York Times reports: One favoring President Bush’s indefinite detentions of “enemy combatants,” and another granting one of said “enemy combatants” the opportunity to challenge his detention in court.

The court effectively ruled that President Bush has the same right to indefinitely detain a civilian on American soil as he does an enemy soldier on a battlefield.

Ali al-Marri, the only “enemy combatant” to be held in the continental United States, is in military custody in Charleston, South Carolina. He was arrested in Peoria, Illinois on December 12, 2001 on charges of credit card fraud and lying to federal agents before being sent to Charleston in 2003. A 5-4 majority of the United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, said that a sworn statement from an intelligence official as the government’s sole testimony in an earlier proceeding was “inadequate.” The official, Jeffrey N. Rapp, said that al-Marri was an al-Qaeda sleeper agent whose objective in the United States was to “commit mass murder and disrupt the banking system.”

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The other ruling effectively reverses an earlier ruling by a three-judge panel with the same court that ordered that al-Marri be either charged with a crime or released.

Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse, saying that al-Marri had “already received all the process he was due,” added that the decision recognize the president’s authority to “capture and detain [al-Qaeda] agents who, like the 9/11 hijackers, come to this country to commit or facilitate warlike acts against American civilians.”

“This decision,” countered Jonathan L. Hafetz, counsel for al-Marri, means the president can pick up any person in the country–citizen or legal resident–and lock them up for years without the most basic safeguard in the Constitution, the right to a criminal trial.”

11 Responses to “Federal court: Bush can indefinitely detain civilians”

Paul Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 6:51 am
Innocent until proven guilty – not anymore! I just wonder when white males age 18-25 will be considered “enemy combatants”.

Survive the NWO… Get Educated
http://www.TheSpecterGroup.com
nikoli Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 8:10 am
anyone thats not with the goverment of america is an enemy combatant… you want to know who say’s that…

mr bush declared to the world, and this goes for you americans…
“If your not with us {ie, american goverment} your with the terrorists”….he said that befor attacking afghanistan…

so anyone thats not with the united states goverment is a terrorist…
C. Rakish Spagaletto Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 8:11 am
We started out as a free country and we now have a mix of socialism and fascism.

Even if we figure out how to abolish and institute a new government, this question still remains –

What are the conditions that allow tyranny to grow and flourish?
Greggmcg Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 8:27 am
The conditions right now, at least in my opinion, are corrupt public officials who won’t even try to do their job to represent the will of the people and the complacent, apathetic people who live in this country.
C. Rakish Spagaletto Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 8:37 am
to Greggmcg – If we started over, wouldn’t the same thing just happen again. The power hungry elitists will rise because the apathetic sheep will allow them to.
Greggmcg Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 8:49 am
Sad but probably true.
homer Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 9:54 am
to spagaletto above-
“What are the conditions that allow tyranny to grow and flourish?”
one word-GREED!
DESIRE TO CONTROL PEOPLE, COMMERCE, MONETARY SYSTEMS, AND ULTIMATELY THE WORLD.

“free your mind and your ass will follow!”
peace/out

ummmmm cake!
nikoli Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 10:26 am
one word………omnipitance…..

we are heading towards global goverment… the world is to small..
we can be across the world in a matter of hours…
it never was like this….
we are traveling faster through time,… thanks to the engine…
but were do you think your going…. your stuck here on this planet… the universe is so huge you can’t imagine it or understand it… our brain can’t picture the size…

so we are stuck here, all of us togeather on this planet earth…
your on a planet people, revolving around the sun…. what a small planet we have…. 200 years ago this planet would not of seemed so small…

we are stuck here and we have to figure out what the next move is going to be… we the people control the earth,,, or the very few elite control the earth… this tiny little planet… will not be enough,,, as you can see,,, they went to the moon… what the earth is not enough,,, now you want the moon….
really it will never end… the universe is even not enough for a GREEDY man….
Don Don Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 10:53 am
Hey Paul, guess how long black males age 18-25 been considered “enemy combatants”
Commander Clash Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 11:58 am
We’re ALL enemy combantants. By even looking at this site we’re violating the “Government Knows Best” Act and the “Thinking For Yourself” Acts. Like people have been saying Orwell just made a typo when he wrote 1984.
Stand Up! Speak Out! Never Be Silenced!
Commander Clash
C. Rakish Spagaletto Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
“It does not take a majority to prevail… but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.” ~ Samuel Adams