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The Obama administration's decision to use a military
tribunal rather than a federal criminal court to try alleged 9/11 mastermind
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others means the real motives behind the 9/11
attacks may remain obscure.
The Likud Lobby and their allied U.S. legislators can chalk up a significant victory for substantially shrinking any opportunity for the accused planners of 9/11 to tell their side of the story.
What? I sense some bristling. "Their side of the story?" Indeed! We've been told there is no "their side of the story."
Bromides
Vice Explanations
For years, President George W. Bush got away with offering up the risible explanation that they "hate our freedoms." The stenographers of the White House press corps may have had to suppress smiles but silently swallowed the "they-hate-us-for-our-freedoms" rationale.
The only journalist I can recall stepping up and asking, in effect, "Come on; now really; it's important; why do they really hate us?" was the indomitable Helen Thomas.
In January 2010, two weeks after Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the "underpants bomber," tried to down an airliner over Detroit, President Barack Obama asked White House counter-terrorism guru, John Brennan, to field questions from the White House press.
Helen Thomas took the opportunity to ask why the would-be bomber did what he did. The exchange with Brennan is, hopefully, more instructive than it is depressing -- highlighting a limited mindset still bogged down in bromides.
So Why?
After the Obama administration announced on Nov. 13, 2009, that it intended to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in federal court for murder, I wrote an article which began by quoting ACLU attorney Denney LeBoeuf regarding some unpleasant facts, such as torture, that the case was likely to reveal.
"I think that we're going to shine a light on something that a lot of people don't want to look at," LeBoeuf said.
The Likud Lobby and their allied U.S. legislators can chalk up a significant victory for substantially shrinking any opportunity for the accused planners of 9/11 to tell their side of the story.
What? I sense some bristling. "Their side of the story?" Indeed! We've been told there is no "their side of the story."
For years, President George W. Bush got away with offering up the risible explanation that they "hate our freedoms." The stenographers of the White House press corps may have had to suppress smiles but silently swallowed the "they-hate-us-for-our-freedoms" rationale.
The only journalist I can recall stepping up and asking, in effect, "Come on; now really; it's important; why do they really hate us?" was the indomitable Helen Thomas.
In January 2010, two weeks after Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the "underpants bomber," tried to down an airliner over Detroit, President Barack Obama asked White House counter-terrorism guru, John Brennan, to field questions from the White House press.
Helen Thomas took the opportunity to ask why the would-be bomber did what he did. The exchange with Brennan is, hopefully, more instructive than it is depressing -- highlighting a limited mindset still bogged down in bromides.
Thomas: "Why do they want to do us harm? And what is the motivation? We never hear what you find out on why."One should, I suppose, be grateful for small favors. At least Brennan did not adduce the they-hate-our-freedoms rationale.
Brennan: "Al Qaeda is an organization that is dedicated to murder and wanton slaughter of innocents. ... They attract individuals like Mr. Abdulmutallab and use them for these types of attacks. He was motivated by a sense of religious sort of drive. Unfortunately, alQaeda has perverted Islam, and has corrupted the concept of Islam, so that he's (sic) able to attract these individuals. But al Qaeda has the agenda of destruction and death."
Thomas: "And you're saying it's because of religion?"
Brennan: "I'm saying it's because of an al Qaeda organization that used the banner of religion in a very perverse and corrupt way."
Thomas: "Why?"
Brennan: "I think this is a long issue, but al Qaeda is just determined to carry out attacks here against the homeland."
Thomas: "But you haven't explained why."
So Why?
After the Obama administration announced on Nov. 13, 2009, that it intended to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in federal court for murder, I wrote an article which began by quoting ACLU attorney Denney LeBoeuf regarding some unpleasant facts, such as torture, that the case was likely to reveal.
"I think that we're going to shine a light on something that a lot of people don't want to look at," LeBoeuf said.
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