Ethics

Holder Pushes Back on Civilian Trials

By Ed Brayton

Attorney General Eric Holder has responded to an official inquiry by members of Congress about who ordered the underoos bomber to be tried in a civilian trial rather than declaring him an enemy combatant. His answer: I did. And I was right. And you're wrong.

The decision to charge Mr. Abdulmutallab in federal court, and the methods used to interrogate him, are fully consistent with the long-established and publicly known policies and practices of the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the United States Government as a whole, as implemented for many years by Administrations of both parties. Those policies and practices, which were not criticized when employed by previous Administrations, have been and remain extremely effective in protecting national security. They are among the many powerful weapons this country can and should use to win the war against al-Qaeda.

Full post as published by Dispatches from the Culture Wars on February 04, 2010 (boomark / email).