RSS Feed MenuIn the event that terrorists housed at Guantanamo Bay are transferred to the United States for trial, the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia – the location of Zacarias Moussaoui’s trial and John Walker Lindh’s plea – could well be their destination.
Congressman Jim Moran explained in an interview last week that should this come to pass it was the “responsibility” of his constituents in Northern Virginia to accept these Gitmo detainees.
The Alexandria Times has reported on Moran’s determination to support the President on the issue of terrorist trials in American cities.
Moran was not always so open to this prospect. In 2002, he wrote Attorney General John Ashcroft on behalf of his constituents.
… It is clear that in the climate that exists in our world today, it will be impossible to guarantee that terrorists will not try to disrupt the trials or harm civilians who live next door.
Yet today, many more people live next door, with 10,000 residents and workers in the area around Alexandria’s federal courthouse during business hours.
This would seem to make Alexandria even less fit for terrorist trials than it was in 2002, when Moran cautioned against bringing terrorists there. But according to Moran, closing Gitmo has become such a moral imperative that Alexandrians must “stand strong” and assume their citizenly “responsibility” of hosting terrorist trials in a densely populated community.
You have to hand it to Moran. As an elected official from Virginia, he is increasingly isolated in defending the ramifications of the President’s hasty decision to close Gitmo. The Democratic mayor of Alexandria opposes detainee trials in his city. And last weekend, Democratic Senator Jim Webb rejected “artificial timelines” for closing Gitmo, acknowledging that the President’s promise to close the facility within a year of taking office was unreasonable.
Moran told the Times that he has been hearing “mostly negative” things about the possibility of terrorist trials from his constituents.
You don’t say.
A few weeks ago, Republicans in Alexandria tapped into voter weariness with the Democrats to win 2 seats on the City Council.
Next up… Jim Moran.
mlindroo // May 19, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Well, shame on Moran for apparently making silly statements back in 2002! But this still does not change the basic fact: putting former Gitmo detainees in Virginia or elsewhere ought to be a non-issue as they of course will be closely guarded.”Henry Clay” does not cite any arguments whatsoever. These individuals are no “Terminators” capable of killing thousands of civilians with their bare hands. MARCU$
sinz54 // May 20, 2009 at 1:07 pm
mlindroo: Perhaps you are unaware of what happened with those convicted in the 1st WTC bombing in 1993. The judge who presided over that case has had bodyguards ever since.Because the terrorists never stop trying to extract revenge.Every jury member, every judge, every District Attorney who will have anything to do with trying these terrorists is going to be in danger for the rest of their lives. And their families too.I hate to think what their life insurance premiums are going to look like.
sinz54 // May 20, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Today, Obama’s own FBI director, Robert Mueller, warned Congress that releasing some of the Gitmo prisoners in the United States would raise concerns that they might radicalize others, raise money for terrorist groups, or carry out attacks.The concerns we have about individuals who may support terrorism being in the United States run from concerns about providing financing, radicalizing others,” Mueller told the House Judiciary Committee. There is also the potential for individuals undertaking attacks in the United States.Mueller also raised concerns about bringing prisoners to the U.S. and holding them in maximum security prisons, noting that in some gang leaders have run their organizations while in prison. It would depend on the circumstances, Mueller said about imprisoning Guantanamo Bay inmates in the U.S., he added.http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22774.html
dragonlady // May 21, 2009 at 10:41 am
Seems that Sen Jim Webb has also changed his tune on bringing Gitmo inmates to the US.
barker13 // May 21, 2009 at 11:33 am
If they’re bad enough to deserve life in prison then they’re bad enough to simply execute.(*SHRUG*)(*SPEAKING TO PRESIDENT OBAMA AND CONGRESS*)Tell ya what, Mr. President… Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid… Members of the House and Senate…Send me the prisoner files. Yep. All of ‘em.Give me a couple weeks to go over the files – I’ll let you know if I need more time.Let me fly over and interview each prisoner.When I’m done I’ll done I’ll tell you who to execute and who (if any) to release.BILL(*SNORT*)