New York trial

The Obama government has decided to try the 9/11 suspects in a civilian court in New York. What this means is that our government has finally started to make a distinction among the people who we've been holding (I believe, illegally) for many years at Guantanamo, and maybe elsewhere. The Bush government played games with the descriptions and definitions of these detentions, admitted to no rights or privileges for any of the people being held, and failed even to bring them to justice in the military tribunals they claimed to have established for the purpose.

Some of those people may be war prisoners, in which case they are entitled to the privileges and protections which war prisoners have under international law; when war no longer wages, they should be freed.

Some of these people may be international war criminals who should be tried in international courts, and who should be charged accordingly and handed over to international authorities.

Some of these may be people our government thinks cannot be proven guilty but who are not entitled to be treated as prisoners of war. These people should be set free where they were seized.

Some of these people such as the 9/11 bunch are accused of committing crimes that occurred on US soil, and who thus should be tried here. They should have the rights and privileges of defendants in American courts.

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There are those who feel that these people will turn the trial into a chance to spout their ideological rantings. Who cares? A good judge will see that the process moves according to law and not according to the rules of show business. Some worry that the people will be found innocent. This is a risk that has to be taken in a process of justice. Sometimes, the wrong people are tried. But if the people who bombed New York can slip themselves past a New York jury, I will be amazed.

Some say that trying these people in a New York court will invite more violence against that city. This is a somewhat interesting argument, but this city is a target anyway, any time. It has been the object of many plots, and will continue to be no matter what becomes of these particular defendants.

Try them!