Juan Cole on the Graham/McCain hypocrisy in calling for enemy combatant designation of Tsarnaev

[marmar]

Posted on 04/21/2013 by Juan Cole


Senators Lindsey Graham and John McCain (or as I refer to them, LindJohn) have demanded that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev be charged as an enemy combatant rather than tried as an American civilian.

This attempt to sidestep the US Constitution by creating an alternative jurisdiction, and to try civilians in military courts, is a stride toward dictatorship. It is precisely the tactic used by Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak, and the demand that the military stop arresting and trying civilians has been central to the country’s revolutionary reform movement.

Likewise, Bahrain has started trying civilians in military courts, as part of its authoritarian crackdown on its protest movement.

.....(snip).....

But here’s another consideration.

Paul Kevin Curtis stands accused (we don’t know if he is guilty) of sending a ricin-poisoned letter to President Barack Obama. ....................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.juancole.com/2013/04/attempted-assassination-commander.html