To be honest, I’m not sure what this piece is trying to argue, but I think it’s an interesting read for some of the information, especially three years after the fact.
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An Open Letter
Dear Sir, Since the Presidential elections are coming up here in the US, I’ve decided to outline what I expect from the President, and in turn, what the President can expect from me. Like you, I too will pledge on your inauguration day to uphold the Constitution. That document is what will bind us together and act as our common language, regardless of our political persuasions.
Harpers Index
Sorry to be out of touch for a while. I am preparing to move to Europe this month and things are getting both hectic and stressful. Just got back from Morocco, namely Rabat and Fes. Rabat is very pleasant, and Fes is amazing. The old medina is beautiful, the food is delicious, and the people warm. In the next three weeks I will be in Damascus, Dhaka, and Marrakech. It is good to get back to Muslim countries, if only to realise that people are the same were ever you go. The only difference being that Muslims will blow you…
Misc. Updates
Brandon Mayfield has been released from custody. Although he remains a material witness, it does not appear that he will be charged with a crime at this point. (Original post.) US forces are pulling out of Karbala. I’ve only seen this article on the NY Times, and am surprised no one else is reporting on it. Relevant paragraphs: Colonel Bishop said the withdrawal was intended to “allow time for the political process to go forward.” He declined to give details on that process, and it was not immediately clear what negotiations were taking place. American officials have been pressuring the…
One thought on “John Walker Lindh”
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It’s funny how Lindh was first an example to civil rights activist as to how a prosecution of an enemy combatant should work (especially compared to Hamdi and Padilla), and now he’s an example of how a prosecution should not have worked. I remember all the complaints that the white boy from Marin County was treated better (in that he had the opportunity for a trial and well-heeled counsel) than Hamdi and Padilla. Now, the same people see Lindh as a victim treated far worse than Hamdi (and we’ll see how mi cabron, Padilla, will end up).
Plenty of smarmy ideas in the article (it’s Mother Jones, after all) and I don’t have time to whack them all — one lie is that Lindh had no support outside his family at the time. Not true, a handful of Salafis were protesting and praying outside EDVA every day Lindh was there. You can google “free john walker lindh” and take a look at the support now for this moron (am I telegraphing my opinion here?). But I do have a suggestion: he can sue his lawyer for malpractice for counseling him to cop the plea. Just kidding, Jimmy (if you’re a blog reader) — I don’t advocate suing lawyers : ^).
One other comment — the article clearly takes the view that the war on terror is a legal problem the success of which can be judged by the number of convictions the government has won. And that is probably the biggest problem of all — the idea that we can depose, subpoena and “Mirandize” our way in this fight.