HUFFINGTON POST
If It Can Happen to Padilla, It Can Happen to You
Sat Nov 26, 2005 16:11
If It Can Happen to Padilla, It Can Happen to You (74 comments )
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/if-it-can-happen-to-padil_b_11075.html
READ MORE: Supreme Court
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/supreme-court
Jose Padilla is a United States citizen. He was arrested over three years ago and he was finally indicted today. In the meantime, the government kept him in a Navy brig in South Carolina. They stripped him of all of his constitutional rights. No speedy trial, no access to a lawyer, no evidence presented against him, not even any formal charges.
They said they could strip him of his rights as a citizen because the President had labeled him an "enemy combatant."
Jose Padilla is a United States citizen. For three years, Padilla could not challenge why he was being held or even know what he was being held for. He could not take his case to court. He did not even know what his case was.
At first, the government claimed he was a "dirty bomber." They claimed he was going to detonate a radiological dirty bomb within the United States. John Ashcroft interrupted a trip he was taking in Moscow to do an emergency press conference on this arrest.
Then, the government changed their story and said he wasn't going to launch a dirty bomb, but that he was going to blow up apartment buildings.
Today, they have changed their story for the third time and they now claim he was part of a plot to "murder, kidnap and maim" people OVERSEAS.
Overseas?! I thought this guy had to be held as a dangerous enemy combatant because he was about to launch an attack inside the United States?
The government is lying. They don't have any usable evidence against Padilla and they never did. They have never charged him before because if they did, people would recognize they have nothing on him.
But you think, "Hey, they just charged him, didn't they?" You want to know why? Because on Monday, they were facing a deadline to file legal briefs with the Supreme Court as to why they should keep him in indefinite detention without his constitutional rights. They knew that if they went to the Supreme Court they were going to lose -- and hence, lose their power to do this to other US citizens.
The court had already ruled against them in the case of Yaser Hamdi, another US citizen detained as an "enemy combatant" and stripped of all of his constitution rights. The administration wanted to avoid another showdown in the Supreme Court on this issue because they have subverted the constitution and have no leg to stand on.
The Supreme Court ruled over a year ago that the detention of Hamdi was unconstitutional. The Second Circuit ruled over two years ago that Padilla should be released from military custody within 30 days. The administration refused to listen to these courts as they dragged this case through more appeals so they could hold Padilla without charges for even longer.
Remember, the case that is making it through its way through the courts right now is not the criminal case against Padilla. It is the case to decide whether Padilla should even have a criminal case or whether the administration can unilaterally and indefinitely take away his right to a trial.
Up until today, I have never claimed the government was lying about why they were detaining Padilla in the first place. I thought he should have his constitutional rights as a US citizen whether he was rightfully detained or not. But now that the government has changed their story for the third time on why Padilla is so dangerous, there is no other conclusion left to draw -- they're making it up.
You see, that's what happens if you allow for secret detentions and no court review. This is precisely why we have the American justice system. It turns out, if you strip Americans of their rights, the government winds up committing heinous offenses. Three years they held this guy without presenting a shred of evidence against him. Jose Padilla is a United States citizen!
That used to mean something. What drives me crazy is how little attention people have paid to the Padilla case. The government took away the constitutional rights of its citizenry, and what did the media have to say about it? What did our elected representatives have to say about it? What did even the so-called liberals, some of whom still walk around with "Free Mumia" signs, have to say about it? Not much.
To be fair, a small minority of liberals were the only people who did fight on his behalf. And a small number of journalists did cover the case. The people who fought for Padilla will one day be seen as America's true protectors because they tried to protect what this country stands for. They weren't fighting for Padilla, they were fighting for all of us.
But most were afraid to speak out in favor of protecting Padilla's rights, especially the politicians, because he might have turned out to be a terrorist. They didn't want to be seen as fighting for terrorists.
But this isn't about whether we like Jose Padilla or not. I don't know a thing about Padilla (mostly because the government has never even tried to prove anything about Padilla). We're supposed to figure out if we should condemn him through an open and public trial. That's what the court system is for. If we abandon that idea now and castigate people based on rumors and innuendo, then we have lost the country.
Don't you get it? If they can take away Padilla's rights, they can take away our rights. Jose Padilla is a United States citizen. That used to mean something.
This administration has contempt for our constitution and the American justice system. We used to say our justice system was the best in the world. This government thinks it is inefficient and ineffective. Constitutional rights -- what a hassle!
The US constitution is under attack, not by al-Qaeda, but by our own leaders. And we slumber and our rights our stolen in the middle of the night. Jose Padilla is a United States citizen. That used to mean something.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\
MORE:>>
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/if-it-can-happento-padil_b_11075.html
Posted Comments ( Page 1 of 2 > » ):
You are absolutely right, Cenk. It can happen to any of us.
In fact, none of us have any real rights until this very issue is settled.
And, you're right, too, that the government doesn't want this settled.
They are undoubtedly lying about Padilla. If there was any real reason to have held him, there would have been reason to charge him.
They had nothing so - when finally forced into a corner - they did what the Bushies do: they made it up.
The unlawful detention of American citizens like Padilla and the abject destruction of our constitutional rights under the Patriot Act are issues that are not only important for all Americans - they are fundamental to what it means to be an American.
We cannot be silent about what is happening to our citizens if we are ever to get our country back.
And until we do, we'll have no way of knowing how many additional detainees Rummy is still hiding in the Charleston brig.
And, as you so rightly said, Cenk, it could be any of us.
Posted by: Raven on November 22, 2005 at 01:48pm
Is this comment abusive? spam? [flag it]
This case has horrified me from the start. I have followed this all along but,of course, I am powerless to stop the insanity. Now they will wait another year for the trial. They have no evidence. Never have had any evidence and hopefully when this case goes to trial he will get out. Lord knows he already has served enough time for whatever they come up with. As sad as all of this is, maybe now there is light at the end of this wretched tunnel of Bush hell.
Posted by: lou33 on November 22, 2005 at 01:55pm
Is this comment abusive? spam? [flag it]
This case has horrified me from the start. I have followed this all along but,of course, I am powerless to stop the insanity. Now they will wait another year for the trial. They have no evidence. Never have had any evidence and hopefully when this case goes to trial he will get out. Lord knows he already has served enough time for whatever they come up with. As sad as all of this is, maybe now there is light at the end of this wretched tunnel of Bush hell.
Posted by: lou33 on November 22, 2005 at 01:56pm
Is this comment abusive? spam? [flag it]
Cenk,
I have to say, I think this is the best of your columns that I've had the opportunity to read (and I've read most that were presented here).
It is tightly reasoned, and though lengthy, always on point.
Thanks for your excellent work.
Posted by: jpginla on November 22, 2005 at 02:12pm
Is this comment abusive? spam? [flag it]
Just waiting for political opponents of this administration to accuse folks of being terrorists and stripping them of their rights. Where is Alan Dershowitz???
Posted by: Piccardo on November 22, 2005 at 02:23pm
Is this comment abusive? spam? [flag it]
http://fusioner.proboards60.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1131129004
We ^ Need ^ _YOUR_ ^ Letters ^ Here!!!
Grass roots media campaign, it's _very_ effective. Please participate!!!
Posted by: Fusioner on November 22, 2005 at 02:25pm
Is this comment abusive? spam? [flag it]
The really strange tangent to the Padilla story is the startling resemblance between him and John Doe 2 of the OK City bombing.
http://www.greatdreams.com/john-doe-2.htm
http://www.okcbombing.org/News%20Articles/Padilla/padilla_wsj.htm
Posted by: GiraffeNecktie on November 22, 2005 at 02:29pm
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If it can happen to Padilla, it can happen to you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jose_Padilla
José Padilla (also known as Abdullah al-Muhajir) (born October 18, 1970) is accused of being a terrorist by the United States government. He is currently being detained without charge in a South Carolina military prison under orders of President George W. Bush.
Born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, Padilla became a gang member after moving to Chicago, Illinois, and was arrested several times. During his gang years, he maintained several aliases, such as José Rivera, José Alicea, José Hernandez and José Ortiz. He was convicted of murder. After serving his last jail sentence, he converted to Islam. He went to the Masjid Al-Iman mosque in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with Adham Amin Hassoun, who at that time was the registered agent for Benevolence International Foundation, a charity which U.S. investigators have accused of funding terrorist activities. Padilla and Hassoun became friends. U.S. authorities accuse Hassoun of consorting with radical Islamic fundamentalists, including Al-Qaida. Hassoun was arrested in 2002 for overstaying his visa. [1]
Padilla traveled to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq. On his return, he was arrested by federal agents at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on May 8, 2002, and held as material witness on the warrant issued in New York State about the 2001 9/11 attacks. On June 9, 2002, President Bush issued an order to Secretary Rumsfeld to detain Padilla as an "enemy combatant".
Posted by: Bowen on November 22, 2005 at 02:34pm
Is this comment abusive? spam? [flag it]
The Padilla story is exactly what is wrong with the liberal idea of what this country is all about and what a post 9/11 world is going to be like if we do not defeat the terrorists.
Padilla happens to be a Hispanic immigrant that decided switch to Islam/Muslim - Whabi beliefs and is a member of a Chicago street gang with ties to Al-Queda. Furthermore, he was caught with bomb making materials and had plans for exploding a dirty-bomb in an American city. If this is YOU - You bet your ass that this is going to happen to you.
So, you idiot f***ing liberals, tell the whole story when trying to illustrate what is going on here!!! Socialist morons!!!
Posted by: johnnyusa on November 22, 2005 at 02:37pm
Is this comment abusive? spam? [flag it]
1. isn't this one of the things that pissed us off about saddam hussein?
2. think about this scenario. oldest abuse of power in the book. there's this fed. and he thinks this blonde barista at starbucks is really hot. so he says, 'hey little lady. you better give me what i want, or i'll denounce [you - your brother - your dad - your mom - your uncle] as an enemy combatant.
silence equals death.
Posted by: stridentvoice on November 22, 2005 at 02:41pm
========================
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/if-it-can-happen-to-padil_b_11075.html
READ MORE: Supreme Court
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/supreme-court
Jose Padilla is a United States citizen. He was arrested over three years ago and he was finally indicted today. In the meantime, the government kept him in a Navy brig in South Carolina. They stripped him of all of his constitutional rights. No speedy trial, no access to a lawyer, no evidence presented against him, not even any formal charges.
They said they could strip him of his rights as a citizen because the President had labeled him an "enemy combatant."
Jose Padilla is a United States citizen. For three years, Padilla could not challenge why he was being held or even know what he was being held for. He could not take his case to court. He did not even know what his case was.
At first, the government claimed he was a "dirty bomber." They claimed he was going to detonate a radiological dirty bomb within the United States. John Ashcroft interrupted a trip he was taking in Moscow to do an emergency press conference on this arrest.
Then, the government changed their story and said he wasn't going to launch a dirty bomb, but that he was going to blow up apartment buildings.
Today, they have changed their story for the third time and they now claim he was part of a plot to "murder, kidnap and maim" people OVERSEAS.
Overseas?! I thought this guy had to be held as a dangerous enemy combatant because he was about to launch an attack inside the United States?
The government is lying. They don't have any usable evidence against Padilla and they never did. They have never charged him before because if they did, people would recognize they have nothing on him.
But you think, "Hey, they just charged him, didn't they?" You want to know why? Because on Monday, they were facing a deadline to file legal briefs with the Supreme Court as to why they should keep him in indefinite detention without his constitutional rights. They knew that if they went to the Supreme Court they were going to lose -- and hence, lose their power to do this to other US citizens.
The court had already ruled against them in the case of Yaser Hamdi, another US citizen detained as an "enemy combatant" and stripped of all of his constitution rights. The administration wanted to avoid another showdown in the Supreme Court on this issue because they have subverted the constitution and have no leg to stand on.
The Supreme Court ruled over a year ago that the detention of Hamdi was unconstitutional. The Second Circuit ruled over two years ago that Padilla should be released from military custody within 30 days. The administration refused to listen to these courts as they dragged this case through more appeals so they could hold Padilla without charges for even longer.
Remember, the case that is making it through its way through the courts right now is not the criminal case against Padilla. It is the case to decide whether Padilla should even have a criminal case or whether the administration can unilaterally and indefinitely take away his right to a trial.
Up until today, I have never claimed the government was lying about why they were detaining Padilla in the first place. I thought he should have his constitutional rights as a US citizen whether he was rightfully detained or not. But now that the government has changed their story for the third time on why Padilla is so dangerous, there is no other conclusion left to draw -- they're making it up.
You see, that's what happens if you allow for secret detentions and no court review. This is precisely why we have the American justice system. It turns out, if you strip Americans of their rights, the government winds up committing heinous offenses. Three years they held this guy without presenting a shred of evidence against him. Jose Padilla is a United States citizen!
That used to mean something. What drives me crazy is how little attention people have paid to the Padilla case. The government took away the constitutional rights of its citizenry, and what did the media have to say about it? What did our elected representatives have to say about it? What did even the so-called liberals, some of whom still walk around with "Free Mumia" signs, have to say about it? Not much.
To be fair, a small minority of liberals were the only people who did fight on his behalf. And a small number of journalists did cover the case. The people who fought for Padilla will one day be seen as America's true protectors because they tried to protect what this country stands for. They weren't fighting for Padilla, they were fighting for all of us.
But most were afraid to speak out in favor of protecting Padilla's rights, especially the politicians, because he might have turned out to be a terrorist. They didn't want to be seen as fighting for terrorists.
But this isn't about whether we like Jose Padilla or not. I don't know a thing about Padilla (mostly because the government has never even tried to prove anything about Padilla). We're supposed to figure out if we should condemn him through an open and public trial. That's what the court system is for. If we abandon that idea now and castigate people based on rumors and innuendo, then we have lost the country.
Don't you get it? If they can take away Padilla's rights, they can take away our rights. Jose Padilla is a United States citizen. That used to mean something.
This administration has contempt for our constitution and the American justice system. We used to say our justice system was the best in the world. This government thinks it is inefficient and ineffective. Constitutional rights -- what a hassle!
The US constitution is under attack, not by al-Qaeda, but by our own leaders. And we slumber and our rights our stolen in the middle of the night. Jose Padilla is a United States citizen. That used to mean something.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\
MORE:>>
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/if-it-can-happento-padil_b_11075.html
Posted Comments ( Page 1 of 2 > » ):
You are absolutely right, Cenk. It can happen to any of us.
In fact, none of us have any real rights until this very issue is settled.
And, you're right, too, that the government doesn't want this settled.
They are undoubtedly lying about Padilla. If there was any real reason to have held him, there would have been reason to charge him.
They had nothing so - when finally forced into a corner - they did what the Bushies do: they made it up.
The unlawful detention of American citizens like Padilla and the abject destruction of our constitutional rights under the Patriot Act are issues that are not only important for all Americans - they are fundamental to what it means to be an American.
We cannot be silent about what is happening to our citizens if we are ever to get our country back.
And until we do, we'll have no way of knowing how many additional detainees Rummy is still hiding in the Charleston brig.
And, as you so rightly said, Cenk, it could be any of us.
Posted by: Raven on November 22, 2005 at 01:48pm
Is this comment abusive? spam? [flag it]
This case has horrified me from the start. I have followed this all along but,of course, I am powerless to stop the insanity. Now they will wait another year for the trial. They have no evidence. Never have had any evidence and hopefully when this case goes to trial he will get out. Lord knows he already has served enough time for whatever they come up with. As sad as all of this is, maybe now there is light at the end of this wretched tunnel of Bush hell.
Posted by: lou33 on November 22, 2005 at 01:55pm
Is this comment abusive? spam? [flag it]
This case has horrified me from the start. I have followed this all along but,of course, I am powerless to stop the insanity. Now they will wait another year for the trial. They have no evidence. Never have had any evidence and hopefully when this case goes to trial he will get out. Lord knows he already has served enough time for whatever they come up with. As sad as all of this is, maybe now there is light at the end of this wretched tunnel of Bush hell.
Posted by: lou33 on November 22, 2005 at 01:56pm
Is this comment abusive? spam? [flag it]
Cenk,
I have to say, I think this is the best of your columns that I've had the opportunity to read (and I've read most that were presented here).
It is tightly reasoned, and though lengthy, always on point.
Thanks for your excellent work.
Posted by: jpginla on November 22, 2005 at 02:12pm
Is this comment abusive? spam? [flag it]
Just waiting for political opponents of this administration to accuse folks of being terrorists and stripping them of their rights. Where is Alan Dershowitz???
Posted by: Piccardo on November 22, 2005 at 02:23pm
Is this comment abusive? spam? [flag it]
http://fusioner.proboards60.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1131129004
We ^ Need ^ _YOUR_ ^ Letters ^ Here!!!
Grass roots media campaign, it's _very_ effective. Please participate!!!
Posted by: Fusioner on November 22, 2005 at 02:25pm
Is this comment abusive? spam? [flag it]
The really strange tangent to the Padilla story is the startling resemblance between him and John Doe 2 of the OK City bombing.
http://www.greatdreams.com/john-doe-2.htm
http://www.okcbombing.org/News%20Articles/Padilla/padilla_wsj.htm
Posted by: GiraffeNecktie on November 22, 2005 at 02:29pm
Is this comment abusive? spam? [flag it]
If it can happen to Padilla, it can happen to you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jose_Padilla
José Padilla (also known as Abdullah al-Muhajir) (born October 18, 1970) is accused of being a terrorist by the United States government. He is currently being detained without charge in a South Carolina military prison under orders of President George W. Bush.
Born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, Padilla became a gang member after moving to Chicago, Illinois, and was arrested several times. During his gang years, he maintained several aliases, such as José Rivera, José Alicea, José Hernandez and José Ortiz. He was convicted of murder. After serving his last jail sentence, he converted to Islam. He went to the Masjid Al-Iman mosque in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with Adham Amin Hassoun, who at that time was the registered agent for Benevolence International Foundation, a charity which U.S. investigators have accused of funding terrorist activities. Padilla and Hassoun became friends. U.S. authorities accuse Hassoun of consorting with radical Islamic fundamentalists, including Al-Qaida. Hassoun was arrested in 2002 for overstaying his visa. [1]
Padilla traveled to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq. On his return, he was arrested by federal agents at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on May 8, 2002, and held as material witness on the warrant issued in New York State about the 2001 9/11 attacks. On June 9, 2002, President Bush issued an order to Secretary Rumsfeld to detain Padilla as an "enemy combatant".
Posted by: Bowen on November 22, 2005 at 02:34pm
Is this comment abusive? spam? [flag it]
The Padilla story is exactly what is wrong with the liberal idea of what this country is all about and what a post 9/11 world is going to be like if we do not defeat the terrorists.
Padilla happens to be a Hispanic immigrant that decided switch to Islam/Muslim - Whabi beliefs and is a member of a Chicago street gang with ties to Al-Queda. Furthermore, he was caught with bomb making materials and had plans for exploding a dirty-bomb in an American city. If this is YOU - You bet your ass that this is going to happen to you.
So, you idiot f***ing liberals, tell the whole story when trying to illustrate what is going on here!!! Socialist morons!!!
Posted by: johnnyusa on November 22, 2005 at 02:37pm
Is this comment abusive? spam? [flag it]
1. isn't this one of the things that pissed us off about saddam hussein?
2. think about this scenario. oldest abuse of power in the book. there's this fed. and he thinks this blonde barista at starbucks is really hot. so he says, 'hey little lady. you better give me what i want, or i'll denounce [you - your brother - your dad - your mom - your uncle] as an enemy combatant.
silence equals death.
Posted by: stridentvoice on November 22, 2005 at 02:41pm
========================
- NY Times: Even Supporters Doubt President… —HUFFINGTON POST, Sat Nov 26 16:22
- So what have they got to hide? —forpressfound, Sun Nov 27 09:36
- Part 2 - What have they got to hide? —forpressfound, Sun Nov 27 09:42
- Bus rider arrested by Homeland Security —PLANETNEWS@aol.com, Sun Nov 27 14:58
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