`I noted with interest that, after holding him in captivity without
charge for three years, the US govt has finally decided to indict Raul
Padilla.
Huzzah, I thought. Finally, the cradle of democracy has had a change
of heart, and has recalled the basic right of habeas corpus, entrenched
among the fundamental laws of Western civilization since the Magna
Charta ! Not only that, to make it up to Padilla, they've even charged
him with less serious offenses than was at first the case
But not so fast. Turns out the motive for this decision was not so
much concern with democracy, as the fact that the evidence against
Padilla was obtained from two al-Qaida operatives under torture
(near-drowning in one case, carried out in Morocco, one of the many
places the U.S. outsources its torture contracts), and the White House
was afraid this might come out at the trial.
Lucky thing we're better than them, eh?
Michael Chase (goya@xxxxxxxxxxx) CNRS UPR 76 7, rue Guy Moquet Villejuif 94801 France
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