Obama Suggests Nuremberg-Like Trial For Osama bin Laden

Posted on June 18, 2008
Filed Under Journalism, News, commentary |

What does the United States do in the event Osama bin Laden is captured alive? Barack Obama seemed to have an answer to that question: a Nuremberg style trial similar to what was conducted to bring Nazi war criminals to justice.

Obama, reports Reuters, says the U.S. should bring bin Laden to justice but avoid turning him into a martyr.

This is a very sane approach and  much different than how John McCain would apparently deal with the situation.

McCain’s surrogates are poking fun at Obama’s proposed handling of a bin Laden capture, and for saying those suspected of being terrorists ought to be treated as criminals in U.S. criminal courts.

No other way

Killing bin Laden would, in fact, make him a martyr in the eyes of some. Hauling his ass into court would help the U.S. regain some of its smudged luster caused by the invasion of Iraq and the treatment of some prisoners in U.S. custody.

Says Obama, as quoted by Reuters, ” The record shows that George Bush and John McCain have been weak on terrorism. Their approach has failed. Because of their policies, we are less safe, less respected, and less able to lead the world.”

McCain’s supporters clearly see this in a very different light. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani says Obama has a “pre-9/11 mindset.”

Perhaps.  But if a “pre-9/11 mindset” means using U.S. criminal courts to try alleged terrorists instead of torturing them in secret CIA prisons, wouldn’t that be a good thing?

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