NPR’s Childish KSM Trial Justification: “Terrorism is a Crime” « NewsReal Blog

NPR’s Childish KSM Trial Justification: “Terrorism is a Crime” « NewsReal Blog: "The Monday edition of NPR’s On Point with Tom Ashbrook was entitled “A 9/11 Trial in New York.” First interviewed was Evan Perez, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, who incidentally wrote an excellent piece for the WSJ about this very topic. Ashbrook’s first question was, simply, “Why is this trial coming to New York City?” According to Perez, President Obama is trying to keep his promise to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility by early next year and will therefore prosecute suspected terrorists in civilian courts whenever a conviction is likely.

All of the detainees could be tried at the Guantanamo Bay facility, but doing so would naturally require the facility to stay open. President Obama is willing to throw New Yorkers under the bus in order to fulfill a campaign promise and meet an arbitrary deadline. Unless the facility is closed by early next year, “…it could lead to a big embarrassment to the Administration.” And we wouldn’t want President Obama to be embarrassed, would we?

Later in the broadcast, Ashbrook introduces John Hutson, former Judge Advocate General of the US Navy and Walter Huffman, former Judge Advocate General for the U.S. Army. According to NPR transcripts, Hutson “appeared sympathetic” to a protest made by a group wearing red shirts who stood and turned, spelling out in big black letters on their backs the word “TORTURE” during a Senate Judiciary panel that was convened to analyze a Guantanamo detainee deal on September 25, 2006. Clearly, Hutson has an axe to grind with the Bush administration."