At this point, the most interesting thing about the Dubai assassination isn’t what happened in that hotel room; it is a hysteria about the story in the British press that is bordering on mob lunacy.
Few new details are emerging, so the press is engaged in an increasingly unconvincing attempt at propelling the story along by self-generated outrage. Here is a perfect example from the UK Times. It begins ominously:
David Miliband will press his Israeli counterpart today to explain what his Government knows about the use of stolen British identities in the Mahmoud al-Mabhouh killing.
Avigdor Lieberman, the Israeli Foreign Minister, will meet separately with his British, French and Irish counterparts in Brussels, in a diplomatic showdown over Mossad’s use of fraudulent European passports.
The Israelis are in big trouble! Well, maybe not. Down at the very bottom we read:
Mr Lieberman’s meetings in Brussels with the British, French and Irish foreign ministers have been long planned.
The writer of this piece, someone named Catherine Philip, actually has no idea whether there will be a “diplomatic showdown” in Brussels. There will probably be pro forma words exchanged about the passport issue, and the Europeans will grumble and complain, as they do on an almost daily basis these days about Israel. The piece is littered with other unproven claims, all written in the passive voice: “There is speculation that” the Israelis are in deepening trouble, and something else “has raised the possibility” of the trouble getting even deeper, all written in the smarmy tone of someone with serious unspoken resentments. Does Israel’s willingness to take risks and act boldly on behalf of its own security shame British elites, who show no such courage today?
Philip’s contribution to the larger campaign of speculation and innuendo is no worse than most of the others. What a spectacle Britain is making of itself these days.
In appraising the feasibility of applying conventional civilian judicial procedures to those at Gitmo, an aspect of the trial of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing that sent the “blind sheik” and others to jail is often overlooked. The District Court judge who presided in that case, now retired, needed for at least several years round-the-clock armed guards at his home and chambers and an armored car to drive in by reason of the threats directed at him by fans of the defendants. How often will this procedure have to be repeated?
“We have now reached the freakish (but entirely logical) conclusion of rule by the judiciary.”
This is why Obama must be defeated. John McCain irritates me, but the he is by far the lesser of evils. Obama will destroy America! And no, I am not exaggerating. We may be at a point where the country cannot be saved. The election of 2008 may very well be our last chance.
Too many foolish people failed to realize the danger of judicial activism. They simply focussed on the results. For instance, I agree with the conclusion of Griswold v. Connecticut—but I also realize that the judges perverted the U.S. Constitution. We are living in dangerous times.
What happens when you saturate the world’s oldest democracy with judicial activism, consumer media, and liberal indoctrination at universities? I wish I believed David Thompson was exaggerating. At this point, I think he is accurate. We need some kind of re-statement of Western Civilization. We must re-affirm our laws, values, and vision for running a society through self-governance and questioning of authority, with full transparency. The Obama campaign, to me, is the full development of the late 60′s legacy. Absolutely no substance, all symbols, with an idealism that reaches too high, and a list of targets to blame when it will naturally fail.
These are very dangerous times.
“Bizarre” is the word.
What worries me is less this one case, than what this court, those five, will be capable of down the road.
Since when do we live in an oligarchy?
Apparently the Commentariat believes that the U.S. can arrogate to itself the prerogative to seize anyone and do whatever it wants to or with that person, with no independent review. After all, this is how Israel operates, and look how well it has worked for them.
God knows what ideas Anthony Kennedy will bring back from Europe this year.
Richard–#1: In fact, every federal judge in New York had round the clock protection from the US Marshals Service during the period leading up to, and including the trial duration. (I personally met a half dozen of these Deputy Marshals during their rotating duty in NYC.) In fact, to the extent that people may complain that their civil liberties have declined during the Bush administration, nearly every heightened private security precaution (picture IDs, metal detectors, armed guards, et al.) can be traced to measures instituted during the trial of the ’93 bombers. I remember well, as I worked in downtown NY (Wall St.) during that period, when they permanently closed off many streets to prevent vehicular access, and enacted all the present-day building egress requirements now taken for granted.
Yes Hartland,
In a time of WAR we DO arrogate to ourself the prerogative to seize any ENEMY COMBATANT and do whatever our military regulations stipulate. Consistent with the geneva convention’s intentional stipulation to NOT apply to civilian combatants. It’s a WAR. People DIE in wars.
We are perfectly within our rights to direct any US soldier to summarily execute any civilian COMBATANT in a war zone. We do not do so out of geo-political and humanitarian concerns, greatly increasing the risk to our soldiers.
As for Israel, they lack the political will to implement the only practical solution to the conflict; annexation of Gaza and the West Bank with forcible expulsion of ALL ‘palestinians’ from greater Israel. The election of Hamas whose charter denies the right to existance of Israel and the ‘principle’ of the utter destruction of Israel justify forcible expulsion, annexation and make no other solution possible.
Financial reparations to the Palestinians are fine but as you pointed out, the ‘experiment’ in communal living that the jews attempted with the muslims, hasn’t worked, nor apparently will it as long as Islam refuses its reformation.
Richard – #1 – The District Judge who presided over the 1993 bombing trial isn’t retired in any normal sense, he’s currently the Attorney General. That said, he still had full-time security because of the trial as recently as 2006. He no doubt still does, though now there are other reasons as well.
As for Israel, they lack the political will to implement the only practical solution to the conflict; annexation of Gaza and the West Bank with forcible expulsion of ALL ‘palestinians’ from greater Israel.
Ah, yes. Ethnic cleansing. Not that Zionism is racism or anything.
Hartland,
Mischaracterizing my argument only reveals the weakness of yours.
Ethnic cleansing is a form of genocide, it is based in the desire to kill as many of your ‘enemy’ as possible. I am not suggesting wholesale slaughter and you know it.
I AM suggesting forcible expulsion in as humane a manner as possible. If that were not the case, I never would have suggested that financial reparations are appropriate.
Any Palestinian resisting with force is making war upon the Israeli forces. Yes, I understand they are defending what they see as their land. Unfortunately, the election of Hamas as the ruling government AND Hamas’ charter’s founding principle of Jewish EXTERMINATION have abrogated palestinian claims to the land. Yes, it IS unfortunate but when one side refuses to conduct honest negotiations and desires only to kill the other, survival dictates that there are NO other alternatives. For Hamas, ONLY the death of Israel will suffice, nothing less.
The fighting will never stop as long as the status quo remains.
Much as you chickenhawks would like to torture every poor schnook Muslim the army grabs – you’re out of luck. Most of these Gitmo “terrorists” are garden-variety drivers, and cooks. The whole “enemy combatants” line is a crock. let them go back to their families an burn that hellhole down.
If 30 of the released enemy combatants hadn’t immediately gone back to the war, to be suicide bombers and warriors for the sake of Allah, I might listen to your argument, Sam.
Unfortunately, Sam, you are full of crap. They are in the right place, and need to stay there. If not. maybe you would be willing to put them up at your place.
If Bush had placed Guantanamo under the Geneva Convention, as McCain counseled him to do, then none of this would have gone to the Supreme Court more than once.
Once again the stupidity of George Bush ends up costing America. Guantanamo has been a disaster in public diplomacy and is now a mill for federal writs. All this because Bush had to be different, no Geneva Convention for You!
We need urgent change in this country.
Herb, I heard of 1 guy going back into the terrorist business. 1. The other 29 must be the ones you paid off to make it look like they were all nogoodniks.
Ethnic cleansing is a form of genocide, it is based in the desire to kill as many of your ‘enemy’ as possible. I am not suggesting wholesale slaughter and you know it.
You’re proposing wholesale explusions. Your Uncles Joe (Stalin and Lieberman) would be proud. It’s almost as humane as penning people up in Gaza and then withholding food, medicine, and other necessities. Some country you love.
Yes, it IS unfortunate but when one side refuses to conduct honest negotiations and desires only to kill the other, survival dictates that there are NO other alternatives. For Hamas, ONLY the death of Israel will suffice, nothing less.
Tell me: What’s the Hebrew word for “Lebensraum?”
G. Britain sounds like a real fancy imbecile. Schmuck, Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, people with a hear far and wide know that the Palestinians are fighting a cockamamie nazi Jew Government and for the sake of their own dignity – they have every right to resist the everyday persecution they’re suffering at the hands of this lousy, rotten Israel. In fact the old ANC that Mandela was once head of in their fight against Apartheid South Africa (a bunch of lousy German sobs) had a slogan: “One settler. One bullet.”
If that was you penned in that big outdoor gulag with a group of trigger-happy Jews ready to shoot you or your 4 year old kid if you looked at ‘em the wrong way – you’d be wetting your pants to either 1. give up and let them break your spirit or 2. fight like a Patriot, like a righteous mensch. Why, do I think with you – it’d be the former.
Johann Reichland,
Hamas is a terrorist organization dedicated to wiping out Israel and all its Jews. As G. Britain pointed out, expulsion is the most humane option available.
As for “penning people up in Gaza,” the terrorists there receive billions of dollars annually from the international community. They use this money for self gratification and terrorist activities, not that there is much difference between the two.
Seeing as how Gaza was carved out of Israeli land and the so called Palestinians are a manufactured ethnic identity, there is no good reason to reward them any further. They’ve done enough damage already.
Sig Heil!
Sham Levine,
you’re the same Iranian shia troll who formerly used “Sam” as a screen name. Adding “Levine” to your alias didn’t fool anybody. Be sure to bang your head on the floor twards sunni Arab Mecca five times today–and don’t dare recite your mantra in Farsi. Its Arabic uber alles for you islamopithecines.
Johann Reichland
Jawohl, mein Commentarian?
Hamas is a terrorist organization dedicated to wiping out Israel and all its Jews. As G. Britain pointed out, expulsion is the most humane option available.
So you assume that every Arab is a member of Hamas? And what’s Israel doing cutting a deal with Hamas, anyway?
They use this money for self gratification and terrorist activities, not that there is much difference between the two.
Food and medicine = terrorism. Nice trick.
Seeing as how Gaza was carved out of Israeli land and the so called Palestinians are a manufactured ethnic identity
I have to give you some credit for pure chuztpah, anyway.
Its Arabic uber alles for you islamopithecines.
What is an “islamopithecine?”