What an amazing president. The day after he leaves for Asia (where he refused to defend the dropping of the atomic bombs) he dumps KSM on New York City.Reactions are predictably heated. My previous thoughts on this construct are here but events call for an addendum.
The basic question is why. What's in it for the Chicago administration? Their stock answer has been something like "upholding our values", a bit strange since they're apparently fine with using a tribunal against the Cole bomber and blowing away terrorists on the battlefield with Predators sans trial.
But the answer is obvious. If trying KSM in New York 'upholds our values' that means Bush was holding them down. Bill O'Reilly bloviated as much this evening and Geraldo immediately confirmed by scolding him over GITMO.
Everyone knows KSM and crew are guilty--they've proudly confessed and have requested death. It appears Obama needs some mileage out of them first as the 2010 elections draw closer and with an economy that ain't coming along as forecast. Not to mention the money outlay issue, probably in the millions after the taxpayers have already spent millions on the 9/11 Commission, who told us KSM was responsible. Now the administration has amended that to "suspects" again. Are they trying to appease the secret truthers, perhaps? Speaking of which, this trial will easily become a sort of conspiracy theory clearinghouse. More distraction.
There would seem to be some political risk, though. If enough voters sense a politicization they might take it out at the polls come November.
Also, Eric Holder was a Clintonista along with Leon Panetta back when they were losing bin Laden and hiding the existence of KSM. Clinton himself has already gone ballistic twice over any historical rendering of his terror-warrior failures, once on Fox News and the other when ABC tried to air "Path to 9/11". Then again, the media ran cover on that story so we never really found out why Sandy stuffed his socks. But the media doesn't love the Clintons as they did before.
Seems like there should be more. Occam's Razor would say this is all about showing up Bush and drawing out Cheney to distract from a lousy economy and a failure to actually close GITMO on time as promised, politics as usual. If that's really the case--if they really are that stupid--then the blowback is going to fun to watch. Trying KSM in the same courthouse we tried his nephew Ramzi means a few journalists might get curious about their relationship and dig up stuff about kites, zoom climbs and weird date stamps on passports and such. Don't forget the dreaded triple agent.
That said, there's a small chance the administration has something up their sleeves so powerful as to overcome any skeletons that might rattle back out during trial and perhaps even muzzle Dick Cheney. Let's see what Darth does next, it could be telling.
2 comments:
You are probably right. What drives me nuts is them saying that they will be tried by 12 of the peers. And what exactly will the terrorist see when they are brought to New York? Two new towers reaching to the sky, spitting in the face of the terrorists? No. They will see a big hole in the ground, the result of their handy work. They will be so proud.
This is nuts.
Deborah F. Hamilton
Right Truth
http://www.righttruth.typepad.com
And for that very reason I'm wondering about change of venue. Yousef was living in New York when he tried the first time, but KSM has to my knowledge never lived in the city and was in Pakistan on 9/11. If they change the venue, to where would it go?
Appeals, appeals, arguments over the religious makeup of the jury--this will go on forever. And during the whole time the media will be dropping "torture" and other tidbits from the Bush past in every single story.
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