Sac Bee report on Lodi terrorist bust

[Ernesto]

"After approximately two more hours of questioning, Hamid indicated that he had, in fact, attended a jihadist training camp in Pakistan," according to the affidavit.




http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/crime/story/13028101p-13874190c.html

[MaryBear]

1. I've only been following this while I drive and listen to the radio.

It gives me a sinking feeling in my gut. Combined with Ahnold's attack dog politicking recently, I fear -- what? a new Gestapo? A new "round em up cause they're dangerous they're even in Lodi" mentality? Anyone else uneasy with this?

[Jack Rabbit]

2. Presumption of innocence

The accused's right to be presumed innocent is underscored in these circumstances. We are not talking about the system of justice as the Founding Fathers envisioned it, but as Bush, Ashcroft and Gonzales envision it.

Because this is justice as defined by the Bush regime, we are entitled to a more jaded view of state power than had people like James Madison and Alexander Hamilton. The action comes as news of the Downing Street document hits the US press. Perhaps this is a legitimate investigation and these are legitimate criminals; but we are entitled to ask out loud if this what we should expect now in place of discredited color coded terror alerts.

We don't know what the facts are in this case. We should not presume to be getting any more useful information from the corporate media than we got from them about Saddam's military capabilities during the run up to the invasion. Are these facts they are reporting? Or are they just rewriting a press release from a Justice Department run by people with more in common with the crowned tyrants of eighteenth-century Europe than our own Founding Fathers?