These terrorists are criminals, not an army. Holding them as POWs or 'enemy combatants' is nonsense

I'm not an expert, but does anyone know how we dealt with international criminals in the past? Because it seems to me that's what we should be doing here. 9/11 was a crime--a terrible crime, but a crime nonetheless. The idea that it was an act of war, that we are "at war" with what amounts to a criminal gang, is the false premise that's driving all of these legal games.

These men are criminals, not members of a legitimate army of any description. That doesn't just take away their rights as POWs, it also restores their rights as criminal suspects. I honestly don't know what the rules are when a foreigner commits a crime against the US as far as capture, detention or trial, but it seems to me those are the rules we should be abiding.

What the Repugs fail to understand is that they (the Repugs) have elevated this class of criminals to a higher status than that of a criminal. Always short sighted those Repugs.

I expect nothing but crap from the GOP. I was hoping Obama would see fit to wipe this crap away.

It simply takes away their rights as POWs, while maintaining their rights as civilians detained by an army or occupying power for actions hostile to that power, which covered under the Fourth Geneva Convention. The Constitution does not apply and has never been extended to foreign nationals committing crimes in foreign nations during a military conflict.

I recall one of the 'renditioned' guys was picked up in Germany and spirited off to a black site to be tortured etc.

I'm asking purely out of curiosity. What I'm wondering primarily is what does happen to these people under the law. The thing about POWs traditionally is that they were obviously members of an army, what with the uniforms and all. If a man is wearing regular civilian clothes and denies wrongdoing, mere suspicion doesn't seem like enough to hold them indefinitely to me.

makes as much sense as bombing New Jersey to get the Mafia.

The Mafia or the yakuza are the best analogy for the typical terrorist.

bombing of the WTC. He is in jail right now.

Many countries have more experience than we with terrorist acts. They try people in their courts and put them in jail if they are found guilty. We could do that.

Save real war, not cheap catch phrase fear mongering, for engaging NATIONS not people when diplomacy fails.

Bin Laden is not Iraqi and did not and does not live in Iraq yet we invade the country anyway and leave the "homeland" of bin Laden intact....

Fight wars against countries, arrest and try the criminals. Of course, you may not win elections if the people are not afraid. Huh Karl?