Now That You Could be Labeled an Enemy Combatant

[GT40FIED]

Ok...well...the problem is that it does apply to citizens. And it is talking about taking their rights away. It suspends your right to counsel, your right to a speedy trial, and through use of torture, I imagine it also eliminates your right against self incrimination. Oh...and that whole thing about inhumane treatment. Look...I don't think anyone's saying that people who mean us serious harm should be allowed to hang out on street corners and walk around as they please. Shit...I'm all for tossing them into the depeest dirtiest part of the most violent jail you can find. I'm just not sure letting our own government hook a car battery up to some guy's nuts is the best of all options.

[ChrisCantSkate]

Originally Posted by GT40FIED

and through use of torture

what? where did that come from? stick to facts, dont throw out bullshit cause you think its right, making stuff up makes everything else less credable. isnt that why you never believe anything you didnt conspire up?

also where in this whole thing does it say that it removes US citizens rights? as much as you want to think it implys that i dont see it. i understand where you are coming from, but we are already have our rights as a citizen as much as you want to disbelieve that. i see it not granting enemy conbatants the same rights, but no where do i see it saying it takes away citizens rights since it dosnt really apply to citizens directly. if you are an american citizen and in violation here, im pretty sure once again, by way of esionage/treason you loose your citizenship and go through the process via the old way we've had on the books for years

[GT40FIED]

What do you mean "where did that come from?"? That's the basic point of the bill...to give the president the power to interpret the Geneva convention as he sees fit.

Chirs...did you read the link I posted to the bill itself? It says, in part:

Section 948a(1) defines an unlawful enemy combatant as


"(i) a person who has engaged in hostilities or who has purposefully and materially supported hostilities against the United States or its co-belligerents who is not a lawful enemy combatant (including a person who is part of the Taliban, al Qaeda, or associated forces; or


(ii) a person who, before, on, or after the date of the enactment of the Military Commissions Act of 2006, has been determined to be an unlawful enemy combatant by a Combatant Status Review Tribunal or another competent tribunal established under the authority of the President or the Secretary of Defense."

The term "a person" is all inclusive. It does not define nationality or citizenship. I'm sure Rob will start bitching about about article 948c where it defines what an alien combatant is, but that's a seperate subsection. So my question to you would be how does this section NOT deal with citizens? Yes, we as citizens do have some rights, but they're being slowly erroded. This bill just takes more of them. And while the acts specified in this bill might fall under treason or espionage, either of those allegations is a bitch to prove under old statutes. This gives the government a huge length of rope...and they'll likely hang us all with it. While it might not be a bad idea to make it easier to prosecute acts like this, stripping people of basic rights afforded at trial isn't the way to do it and neither is the idea of "coersion" that this bill would make legal.