As I’m sure you’re aware by now, the usual suspects are engaged in a group freakout over the president’s lack of consideration for civil liberties in the war on terrorism so much so that some, like David Sirota and Glenn Greenwald, have aligned themselves with crackpot hooplehead Rand Paul, who has little if any regard for the civil liberties of women and minorities (see also his support for personhood amendment, his support for states rights’ nullification and his opposition to key sections of the Civil Rights Act).
Regardless of these brain-scrambling alliances, I haven’t read a single article by some of these writers and activists in which they, 1) acknowledge the president’s efforts to wind-down military commissions, and 2) acknowledge the fierce political resistance the administration has confronted every time it’s attempted item number one.
Here’s why I bring this up. While everyone was losing their shpadoinkle in the Holder/drones fracas, exaggerating and misrepresenting what the administration’s policies are regarding domestic use of lethal military force, news broke that Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, Osama Bin Laden’s son-in-law and an “official spokesman” for al-Qaida had been captured alive in Turkey and was extradited to New York City where he plead not guilty to terrorism charges in federal court. [continue reading here]