Faisal Shahzad: Civilian, or enemy combatant?

Originally posted by whodey
I think all this talk about military verses civilian trials are missing the mark. What we need on the books are laws that effectively deal with people who attempt or carry out mass killings? They should NEVER see the light of day, or am I missing something?

are you trying to violate these peoples' civil rights? 😠

Originally posted by whodey
I think all this talk about military verses civilian trials are missing the mark. What we need on the books are laws that effectively deal with people who attempt or carry out mass killings? They should NEVER see the light of day, or am I missing something?

And we also have laws on the books to make sure that if whodey is mistakenly charged with carrying out a mass killing, he has the chance of avoiding the fate that those who are convicted of trying to carry out a mass killing must bear.

Originally posted by Melanerpes
Maybe this is a matter of semantics.

We can call such a person a SUSPECTED enemy combatant until they have actually been convicted.

who didn't say that?

Originally posted by no1marauder
Was Timothy McVeigh blowing up a building "military in nature"?

Yes, I deny his action - leaving a civilian truck filled with explosives in a public area THE SAME THING MCVEIGH DID - was "military action". And no, your cut and pastes regarding the Bush administration's unilateral attempts to change IL definitions doesn't make me change my mind.

consider his intent!

Originally posted by whodey
I think all this talk about military verses civilian trials are missing the mark. What we need on the books are laws that effectively deal with people who attempt or carry out mass killings? They should NEVER see the light of day, or am I missing something?

Nobody is saying Faizal should walk away free, but that doesn't mean we should pretend he isn't a civilian when he clearly is one.

Originally posted by zeeblebot
consider his intent!

His intent was to kill people for a political reason i.e. to "protest" the Predator strikes in Pakistan. That's pretty much a textbook definition of terrorism.

Originally posted by generalissimo
Nobody is saying Faizal should walk away free, but that doesn't mean we should pretend he isn't a civilian when he clearly is one.

Faizal acted as an enemy combatant and carried out an act of war against the US.

Originally posted by no1marauder
His intent was to kill people for a political reason i.e. to "protest" the Predator strikes in Pakistan. That's pretty much a textbook definition of terrorism.

wars aren't carried out for political reasons?

Originally posted by no1marauder
His intent was to kill people for a political reason i.e. to "protest" the Predator strikes in Pakistan. That's pretty much a textbook definition of terrorism.

P.S., watch your language or Melanerpes'll call you out, as Faisal has not been convicted of any crime (yet).

Originally posted by zeeblebot
who didn't say that?

"Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn, said as far as he's concerned, Shahzad lost his entitlement to Miranda Rights when he was arrested on terrorism charges"

Note: arrested, not convicted! Apparently you lose your rights just for being suspected to have done something horrible...

Originally posted by zeeblebot
wars aren't carried out for political reasons?

Wars are carried out by countries, not by one disgruntled individual.

Originally posted by zeeblebot
Faizal acted as an enemy combatant and carried out an act of war against the US.

If Faisal had mugged someone in Times Square, would that have been "an act of war" against the US, too?

Originally posted by zeeblebot
Faizal acted as an enemy combatant and carried out an act of war against the US.

What criteria do you suggest are used to determine who is an "enemy combatant"?

Originally posted by KazetNagorra
What criteria do you suggest are used to determine who is an "enemy combatant"?

something somewhat above no1m's suggesion of "mugging".

Originally posted by KazetNagorra
What criteria do you suggest are used to determine who is an "enemy combatant"?

enemy combatant = anyone who is a Democrat (they're all a bunch of socialists who are staging a coup as we speak).

enemy combatant = anyone who is a Republican (they're all a bunch of imperialists who are staging a coup as we speak).

enemy combatant = anyone who is not a member of either major party (clearly a bunch of un-american subversives who are staging a coup as we speak)