Resorting To Lies

In an effort to win votes and strengthen numbers in Congress the GOP have taken to attacking the Obama administration and not always with credible attacks. This past Christmas Day the thwarted attack on a Detroit bound plane brought out all manner of attacks regarding our national security. Criticism of the current administration may lead one to infer the Obama administration significantly changed the post 9/11 apparatus set up by Bush/Cheney. One may also infer trying suspects in federal court was novel and never successful previously.

In political attacks people lie as often as the weather changes, but the idea we are now unsafe based on comparisons with policies of the Bush/Cheney administration makes no sense. His nominations for various posts specifically effecting national security have been blocked at most every turn. Besides some face changes, there hasn’t been anyone new to push through significant changes to Bush policies. If those on the right were so worried about keeping our nation safe why hinder successful administration of agencies most responsible for keeping Americans safe?

Assertions trying terrorism suspect’s in Federal Court is dangerous have also been floated. Take those of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. An article out earlier this month in Politico.com highlighted some of his views regarding the current administration and National Security. McConnell, “lambasted the administration for seeking to try accused terrorists in U.S. criminal court rather than at Guantanamo Bay, promising to do ‘everything we can to deny them the funds they'll need’ if they avoid his suggested route.” (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/32464.html#ixzz0gmAEsJqr)

He also “accused the administration of handling terrorism as a ‘narrow law enforcement’ matter” and “of being more concerned about a messaging strategy than prosecuting a war against terrorism.” In addition he says, ” ‘again and again, the administration's approach has been to announce a new policy or to change an existing one based not on a careful study of the facts, but as a way of conspicuously distancing itself from the policies of the past — even ones that worked,’ McConnell said. ‘In short, it has too often put symbolism over security.’ “ (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/32464.html#ixzz0gmAEsJqr)

McConnell’s assertion handling of terrorists in federal courts makes us less safe than we were under Bush/Cheney is not supported by facts. The New York Times reports, “James P. Cullen, a retired brigadier general who served as chief judge of the Army’s Court of Criminal Appeals in the Judge Advocate General Corps, said, ‘military commissions are not as effective as federal courts in delivering justice.

You’ve had about 800 cases that were supposed to be run through the military commissions in Guantánamo, and there have only been three convictions,’ he said. ‘You have three-eighths of 1 percent return on military commissions, versus 90 percent plus when they are tried in the federal court.’ ” (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/nyregion/24about.html) So, what data is McConnell basing his assertions on?

In an interview with CBS retired General Colin Powell stated, “In eight years the military commissions have put three people on trial two of them served relatively short sentences and are free one guy is in jail. Meanwhile the Federal courts, our Article 3 regular legal court system, has put dozens of terrorists in jail… So the suggestion that a military commission is the way to go isn’t borne out by the history of the military commission.

I think a lot of people think ‘just give ‘em to the military and the military will hammer them.’ Well guess what? Officers in the military are obliged to follow the constitution. Military lawyers are obliged under their oath to give the best possible defense to the defendants no matter whether he’s a terrorist or not. And, so you didn’t get out of the military commissions what a lot of people thought at the beginning you would get. A lot of us did not think it was a good idea in the beginning. ” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN3mObA9InE)

In reality the system currently in use is virtually the same as that put in place by the Bush/ Cheney administration. Juan Zarate, who under the Bush/Cheney administration was a Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism making him responsible for developing and overseeing the effective implementation of the U.S. government’s counterterrorism strategy, backed this up in an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. He said, ”there's been a fundamental continuity, I think, of a lot of the same counterterrorism policies and practices from the second term of the Bush administration… what they're currently doing, frankly, is just a continuation of what President Bush had been doing.” (http://archives.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1001/04/sitroom.01.html)

Retired general Powell himself says, “the Transportation Security Administration created by George Bush is still in action working in our airports; they take care of me every day that I go to an airport… the Office of the Director of National Intelligence was also created under President Bush." (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/21/ftn/main6228795.shtml)

There has been no change or shakeups in any of the areas responsible for fighting terrorism and keeping us safe. Secretary Gates and General David Petraeus are still in place as with so many others in key positions. Aside from some changes at the top most people who staffed the positions under Bush/ Cheney are still in place.

The fact is if we are unsafe now we were unsafe then. If we are unsafe under the Democratic administration we were unsafe under the Republican administration. Democrats are utilizing the system created by Republicans. Their own people affirm this. In the end it’s Mitch McConnell who should be answering questions as to why we are so unsafe if we are to assign political blame for the current system’s failures. Apparently he has a lot to answer for… if what he’s saying is true.

To read about my inspiration for this article go to www.lawsuitagainstuconn.com.