Back then, the problem was piracy. Freebooters terrorized European and American shipping, capturing cargoes and enslaving passengers. A lot of these pirates were state supported by the Pasha of Tripoli–for a reason I will get to in a moment.

Initially, the U.S. decided to pay tribute to these pirates to allow our ships safe passage. But when Thomas Jefferson and John Adams went to Tripoli to negotiate a deal, the Tripoli Ambassador told them this, according to Thomas Jefferson:

It was written in their Koran, that all nations which had not acknowledged the Prophet were sinners, whom it was the right and duty of the faithful to plunder and enslave; and that every muslim who was slain in this warfare was sure to go to paradise.
Jefferson now knew he was dealing not with ordinary criminals, but with religious fanatics. And that there was no point in trying to appease such people.

So the United States went to war. The fact that these pirates weren’t a state didn’t bother America one bit. And the U.S. didn’t just stop the pirates, but invaded Tripoli and stopped the state sponsorship as well (that’s where the phrase “shores of Tripoli” comes from in the Marine Corps hymn).

Nothing’s changed in over 200 years. Today, we call them terrorists. But the issue is the same: They’re not common criminals, because they are agents of radical Islam, just like their ancestors of two centuries ago.

And it’s that ideology with which we are at war.

Back then, the problem was piracy. Freebooters terrorized European and American shipping, capturing cargoes and enslaving passengers. A lot of these pirates were state supported by the Pasha of Tripoli–for a reason I will get to in a moment.

Initially, the U.S. decided to pay tribute to these pirates to allow our ships safe passage. But when Thomas Jefferson and John Adams went to Tripoli to negotiate a deal, the Tripoli Ambassador told them this, according to Thomas Jefferson:

It was written in their Koran, that all nations which had not acknowledged the Prophet were sinners, whom it was the right and duty of the faithful to plunder and enslave; and that every muslim who was slain in this warfare was sure to go to paradise.
Jefferson now knew he was dealing not with ordinary criminals, but with religious fanatics. And that there was no point in trying to appease such people.

So the United States went to war. The fact that these pirates weren’t a state didn’t bother America one bit. And the U.S. didn’t just stop the pirates, but invaded Tripoli and stopped the state sponsorship as well (that’s where the phrase “shores of Tripoli” comes from in the Marine Corps hymn).

Nothing’s changed in over 200 years. Today, we call them terrorists. But the issue is the same: They’re not common criminals, because they are agents of radical Islam, just like their ancestors of two centuries ago.

And it’s that ideology with which we are at war.

All our intelligence showed was that Osama bin Laden was “determined to strike inside the U.S.”

Given that he had already bombed the WTC but failed to destroy it–in 1993–we didn’t need the CIA to remind us that he would try again.

The AG states there is evidence available to assure a conviction. Great. There is also evidence available to convict KSM in Gitmo. Great. So why bring KSM here for Civilian Criminal Court?

Because KSM isn’t the show, he is the ticket to get the show rolling. The show will be using KSM and his lawyers to bring out all the big bad Cheney torture evidence. Obama and Holder could care less about KSM, they want Cheney, and Bush if possible. Can’t go after them directly, too messy, too noisy, too political. But bring KSM to do the dirty work, then the morally upright and dignified AG will have to act when all the big bad Cheney torture stuff is drug out.

The looney Left has been hot for this chance, pressuring the AG and Obama. KSM will have the best legal team Media Matters can buy and Soros can buy alot. That legal team will let KSM on the stand to rant and rave, draw your attention, then present all the big bad Cheney torture stuff. Look how terrible we are, or more specifically how bad Cheney/Bush is. Thats when the fun starts.

That policy didn’t stop terrorism.

It left us wide open for the biggest terrorist attack ever.”

Absolutely, 100% correct on the connections between the Democrat method of treating terrorist combatants as “law enforcement problems” and a fundamental failure of the US govt under Clinton to protect US citizens. It isn’t law enforcement: it’s war.

Clinton and Clarke should be tried as accomplices to alQaeda. Their fundamental failure to take the necessary steps to militarize our response to al Qaeda led to the deaths of thousands of Americans… all while Clinton chased some tail in the Oval Office.

It makes sense. Al-Qaeda is not an army, does not wear uniforms, is not a country, indeed is not resident now in any one country.

The war on terror was always a dumb thing anyway. How can you have a war on a induced emotion!

Did we actually declare a war is in place if so how will we know we have won or lost? When do we say it’s at an end if ever?

To treat these criminals as honorable combatants is to elevate them to a level they do not deserve.