Osama bin Laden's Son-In-Law Tried In U.S. Court

Miranda rights make it more difficult to convict, McCain says

The Obama administration's decision to try a son-in-law of Osama bin Laden in U.S. civilian court is drawing fire from national security hawks. On FOX Friday afternoon, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said legal rules of evidence would make it more difficult to convict Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, who once served as a spokesman for Al Qaeda.

If read Miranda rights, "We are deprived of the ability to interrogate this person," said McCain, the 2008 GOP presidential nominee, on "Studio B". "This man is not a common criminal. He is a member of the al Qaeda hierarchy."

Abu Ghaith pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in federal court in Manhattan on Friday morning, where he was charged with conspiring to kill Americans, The New York Times reported. McCain suggested Abu Ghaith should not be afforded the privileges or platform that he will be accorded in a civilian court as opposed to a military tribunal.

Politix reporting, and via The New York Times.

Do you agree with the Obama administration’s decision to try bin Laden’s son-in-law in a civilian court, rather than military tribunal?

[Knightkore]

He is a war criminal, why are we trying him in a civilian court? So that a progressive liberal lawyer can get him off? President Hussein Obama is skirting treason allowing this.

[Yank]

What war crime did he commit? He may be an intelligence asset and should be treated as a POW, but I saw no mention of him being an operations leader of Al Qaida. If he is a criminal (for calling for the death of Americans) then those on the internet calling for the US military to "glass" the Middle East should be careful.

[bsking]

@Yank that's right and besides he's probably intimate friends with George W Bush and Dick Cheney . and who knows maybe he was doing some deals with Halliburton. but as long as you didn't see nothing mentioned about him being an Operations that's good enough for me

[bsking]

You can't say Obama is skirting anything thats homophobic.

[jessejaymes]

While all you right wingers moan and howl I seem to remember "the blind sheik" AND timothy McVeigh being tried in U.S. courts. Moan on.

[Knightkore]

McVeigh was a war criminal?

[jessejaymes]

@Knightkore he certainly was a terrorist and that's all the son in law is. You give them way too much credit for being a war criminal. They were both garden variety terrorists. Nothing more, and he will be convicted and executed or imprisoned for life. Why scream and cry about something like this when the deficit is going up while we "bail out" NASCAR and Hollywood?

[Sonny]

@Knightkore Yes, according to Bush's definition---He would indeed be an "enemy combatant"...i.e.... "war criminal"...Further...he was also a "traitor" and a coward to boot!

[Knightkore]

@jessejaymes The terrorists ARE war criminals. They have declared war on all infidels.....why scream and cry about nazi's when the economy then wasn't all that either in WW2.....I mean seriously.....

They the terrorists know exactly who they are fighting, who their enemy is and will stop at nothing to kill us. When we will decide and stop quibbling over who they are?

[Knightkore]

@jessejaymes NASCAR has NEVER needed bailing out.....they have better business sense than all of congress and President Hussein Obama.....

[Sonny]

At this point...I don't really know what he is being tried for. So far it seems that the only crime he has committed was being a "spokesman" for Al Qaeda". I was not aware that, that was a crime...But ok---if that's what it is---then that's what it is.....However, the statement:--"....If read Miranda rights, "We are deprived of the ability to interrogate this person," said McCain,." Is just not true at all......The authorities are, still, of course, free to ask him any question they like----The difference is ----that he does not have to answer them...And if he asks for his lawyer then they have to stop and get him his lawyer...But even if they were to try him in a tribunal---he still can refuse to answer any questions....I guess the difference might be that----they can use some kind of "enhanced interrogation" methods ---absent any "Miranda Warnings"!??!

[Knightkore]

So a nazi spokesman would not have been considered a war criminal in WW2? No wonder we're not winning any wars, we can't even agree on who the enemy is.

[jessejaymes]

@Knightkore The only difference here is that he can't be tortured. Is that your grievance? If they don't have any evidence against him already then why was he arrested?

[Sonny]

@Knightkore No they can try him for what ever they like, as far as I'm concerned. Its just that in this & in the story about his initial capture---nothing much was said about what he actually did....And it wasn't clear here either...I suppose it will all come out during his trial.

[Knightkore]

@Sonny Maybe or maybe not. What happens if his lawyer tries get him to be "tried" by his sharia law? It's been done before in other courts.

[Sonny]

@Knightkore Sharia law does not exist in the United States!...See that's why its such a bogus thing for so many on the right to bring up in the first place...We have the U.S. Constitution...And no other law ----Not even sharia law...can supersede that document...It does not matter if the person, being tried in an American Court, came from a place that DID practice Sharia Law---Let me repeat...It Does Not Exist In American, and can NOT be substituted for our US Constitution and/or any state laws either....

[ZombieMedic]

McCain needs to retire, he's all over the board on every issue. Just take this guy and put him in a stadium with some voluntary family members who lost loved ones on 9/11 and let them have a gladiator games day. People would pay to see that event, would be bigger than a superbowl, and a good revenue source for helping to pay for all this debt Obama has piled on everyone.

[Knightkore]

Not a bad idea.....

[ZombieMedic]

@Knightkore People talk of justice, well it seems like the person who is wrong should be the one to get to deal out the justice if he's found guilty.

[mudpike]

He's an enemy combatant . The military should hold precedence in cases such as this.
Micro-managing by civilians not needed.

[Yank]

He was not a combatant. He was a enemy non-combatant, but he is an intellegence asset.

[mudpike]

@Yank - fancy names mean nothing to me , sir. If he was against America - it's all the same. How the heck does a community organizer & his puppet holder have any knowledge or business being involved in a matter of war criminals. Anyone tied to 911 & killing innocents are 'war criminals'

[whataGOVwehave]

Sure....whatever it takes to get intelligence out of him.

[ErnestPayne]

And Obama's son in law is guilty of what? Guilt by association? Guilty of saying he didn't "like" america? If those are the reasons you have only a few billion more trials to go. Trust me the rest of the world will see it as the "show trial" that it will become. The reciprocity will endanger americans everywhere.

[Yank]

Being an member of a terrorist organization is a crime in America, but he is not an American, was not in America, and not bound by our law.

[bsking]

Oh maybe Eric Holder's firm can represent him... they have plenty of experience representing terrorists in the United States courtroom.

[slov]

Obama don't want him convicted....its just another one of his ploys to make it appear something is being done.He knew what he was doing.

[tomincali]

in the day when our gov says it is ok for "them" to kill an
American citizen without a trial. said to have took our bin laden yet did not want to bring him in for court. seems to me taking these folks out on site is cheaper and better all the way around.
oh they was afraid to bring bin laden to trial here do to what they have let into the country. they brought and let these folks in and are afraid for themselves while dumping who knows what on the rest of us. remember the gov wants to disarm us while they are protected even from what they alone allowed into the country.

[seedtick]

This pig turd does not deserve the same rights as those he conspired to kill. This is just an end run around the American people by Barack Husssein Obama and Eric Holder.

[miketost]

Could obama and holder be feeling guilt?Have they destroyed or sold all the drones the administration has been so proud of using?This fool has so much knowledge of the evil plans that are out there, a foreign combatant and mouth piece for the enemy.Yet these two fools choose not to interrogate but instead give constitutional protection .Has the sequester eliminated military trials?Wouldnt surprise me.

[cat2009]

A dollar to a donut he walks.

[gammler]

I'm undecided here. One of the best ways to marginalize a terrorist is to try him in public. Rather than be looked upon as a "freedom fighter", or some such, the public gets to see them as they really are, a bunch of scruffy common criminals. The Italians proved that when they tried members of the Red Brigade that they captured. To try a terrorist in a star chamber court has the potential of making a martyr out of him.