Smurf-Herder
02-07-2009, 09:19 AM
Obama Drops Charges Against USS Cole Bomber
President Barack Obama will meet with relatives of victims of the USS Cole bombing and the September 11th attacks at the White House today, where he will attempt to explain his decision to close the terrorist detention center at Guantanamo Bay and seek a delay in the military trials of several terrorist suspects there.
Obama ordered the facility closed and the trials halted with one of his first official acts as president so that his Administration can review the military commissions process. While delays were granted in most of the detainee cases, one judge, Army Col. James Pohl, refused the Administration's request, citing the Military Commissions Act passed by Congress. Pohl's denial left the Obama Administration with a choice: continue the prosecution of Abd Al-Nashiri, alleged mastermind of the Cole bombing, or drop the charges against him. President Obama has decided to drop the charges.
The former commander of the Cole, Cmdr. Kirk Lippold (Ret.) was displeased by President Obama's decision.
"For some reason, the Administration says that what's been expressed through the legislature [the Military Commissions Act] is not sufficient. They need to let the process go forward."
Lippold said that he was interested to hear what the new president had planned with regard to the detainees once Guantanamo is closed. "They haven't articulated that," he said. Lippold said he was disappointed by the decision but allowed that the Administration may have a plan that would satisfy some of his and victims' relatives concerns.
The meeting today between President Obama and victims' families is likely to be awkward in light of the Administration's actions on the detainees thus far. Many family members were initially upset by the decision to seek delays in the terrorist trials, saying that they have waited long enough for justice. The decision to drop the charges against al-Nashiri will only add fuel to that fire. Al-Nashiri will remain in custody for now, but it is unclear how long the Obama Administration will be willing to hold him without charges pending, and there has yet to be a determination about how, and where, to proceed with trials for the detainees.
http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2009/02/06/obama-drops-charges-against-uss-cole-bomber/
President Barack Obama will meet with relatives of victims of the USS Cole bombing and the September 11th attacks at the White House today, where he will attempt to explain his decision to close the terrorist detention center at Guantanamo Bay and seek a delay in the military trials of several terrorist suspects there.
Obama ordered the facility closed and the trials halted with one of his first official acts as president so that his Administration can review the military commissions process. While delays were granted in most of the detainee cases, one judge, Army Col. James Pohl, refused the Administration's request, citing the Military Commissions Act passed by Congress. Pohl's denial left the Obama Administration with a choice: continue the prosecution of Abd Al-Nashiri, alleged mastermind of the Cole bombing, or drop the charges against him. President Obama has decided to drop the charges.
The former commander of the Cole, Cmdr. Kirk Lippold (Ret.) was displeased by President Obama's decision.
"For some reason, the Administration says that what's been expressed through the legislature [the Military Commissions Act] is not sufficient. They need to let the process go forward."
Lippold said that he was interested to hear what the new president had planned with regard to the detainees once Guantanamo is closed. "They haven't articulated that," he said. Lippold said he was disappointed by the decision but allowed that the Administration may have a plan that would satisfy some of his and victims' relatives concerns.
The meeting today between President Obama and victims' families is likely to be awkward in light of the Administration's actions on the detainees thus far. Many family members were initially upset by the decision to seek delays in the terrorist trials, saying that they have waited long enough for justice. The decision to drop the charges against al-Nashiri will only add fuel to that fire. Al-Nashiri will remain in custody for now, but it is unclear how long the Obama Administration will be willing to hold him without charges pending, and there has yet to be a determination about how, and where, to proceed with trials for the detainees.
http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2009/02/06/obama-drops-charges-against-uss-cole-bomber/