Posted on 12/05/2001 2:37:51 AM PST by doosee
Editorial: Loose lips / Don't prejudge an American in Afghanistan Wednesday, December 05, 2001 Some observers want Americans to rush to judgment in the case of John Philip Walker Lindh, also known as Abdul Hamid, the 20-year-old wounded American who was flushed out of the tunnels with other Taliban forces in Afghanistan last week. Before Americans symbolically lynch Mr. Walker (as he prefers to be known) or deform domestic or international law to find some way of charging him with something, it is important to look at what is known so far about what he has done. There exists no formal, legal American declaration of war against the Taliban, Afghanistan or al-Qaida. Presidential speeches do not meet that requirement. There is no evidence so far that Mr. Walker took military or other action against U.S. forces, nor that he was involved in the death of the CIA agent killed in the Taliban prison uprising. There is no evidence of his involvement with al-Qaida. There is no evidence that he fired a shot in anger against anyone. There is no evidence so far that Mr. Walker was in any way involved in the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. What he apparently did do was fight alongside forces of the Taliban, under whose rule al-Qaida flourished in Afghanistan as al-Qaida organized the attacks in this country. If it developed that Mr. Walker knew what al-Qaida was planning and did nothing to bring that information to the attention of U.S. authorities, that would be an interesting development. Certainly he should be interrogated about any such possibility. If he were found to be complicit somehow, that could serve as a basis for his prosecution in American courts. In the meantime, let him clean himself up, nurse his wounds and make contact with his parents, who are clearly worried sick about him. Then officials can determine whether he is -- as he appears to be -- a mystic who went way too far under the influence of his Islamic mentors, or a traitor who acted against his country. post-gazette.com PG News ---- Nation & World ---- Region & State ---- Obituaries ---- Neighborhoods ---- Business & Technology ---- Sports ---- Health & Science ---- Arts & Entertainment ---- Lifestyle ---- Editorial Opinion Special Reports Photo Journal AP Wire Sports ---- Steelers ---- Pirates ---- Penguins ---- University of Pittsburgh ---- Penn State University ---- Collegiate Sports ---- High School Sports ---- Golf Classifieds ---- Announcements ---- Automotive -------- post-gazette.com/cars ---- Business Opportunities ---- Business Services ---- Celebrations ---- Death Notices ---- Farm & Lawn ---- Great Outdoors ---- Hobbies ---- Jobs ---- Legal Ads ---- Merchandise ---- Personals ---- Pets ---- Place an Ad ---- Real Estate Rentals -------- Pittsburgh Apartments ---- Real Estate Sales -------- Mortgage Rates Weather PG Store PG Delivery About the Post-Gazette Contact Us Search Site Map Help Corrections/Clarifications Copyright and Terms of Use Copyright © 1997-2001 PG Publishing. All rights reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Policy
regards,
Abdul Hamid
johnniewalkeronscotch
Correction on my comment earlier. Should be never "cease" to amaze me. Notice above that even fighting in/with al-Qaida terrorist group is not enough to sway the PG to realize that this guy is an out and out traitor.
This will make the left love this treasonous whacko even more than they already do.
What, and deprive some noble member of the American Trial Lawyers Assoc. the opportunity to become the new Derschowitz. Well folks, I have to head off to work - and from there I can only lurk.
Bring him back to the States, give him a little publicity, maybe a news conference, and let him go. Where? I can think of a few places. Maybe outside Camp Pendleton, or Camp LeJeune, or Fort Bragg, or how about outside the Uniformed Fire Officer's Association office in Manhatten?
In God We Trust.....Semper Fi
Looky here at our Constitution:
Section. 3.
Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.
(bold, of course mine)
A sneaky thing that "or". Maybe the Pitt's writers should take another look at the whole of the above document.
What information does this editor have? What led him to determine that there is a lack of evidence? How was he able to make this determination when he is thousands of miles away from the scene? Is it possible that he is privy to more information than Rumsfeld? This kind of crap editorial is worthless.
This author presumes, ignorantly, that unless there has been a declaration of a state of war, we are not at war. The Constitution says that Congress MAY declare war. But international law at the time of the Constitution recognized that a declaration of war NECESSARILY represented that one was initiating an AGGRESSIVE war. International law THEN and NOW recognized that any nation that had been attacked IS in a state of war--and no declaration of war is required by international law OR by our own Constitution. Today, aggressive war is ILLEGAL. The United States will never declare war again. But it is at war and it is waging war.
It is not Bush's speeches or even Congress's resolution that has placed us in a state of war: It was the airplanes that struck the WTC that initiated the state of was--as Bush understood the instant the second plane struck.
While I don't think his crimes rise to the level of constitutional treason, I think he should spend 30+ years in Leavenworth where 72 non-Virgin, non-Muslim pals make his stay memorable.
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