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January 19, 2007 at 07:47:39

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Gonzales Questions Habeas Corpus

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By Robert Parry (about the author)     Page 3 of 3 page(s)

opednews.com     Permalink

The law permits, too, the introduction of secret evidence "while protecting from disclosure the sources, methods, or activities by which the United States acquired the evidence if the military judge finds that ... the evidence is reliable."

During trial, the prosecutor would have the additional right to assert a "national security privilege" that could stop "the examination of any witness," presumably by the defense if the questioning touched on any sensitive matter.

In effect, what the new law appears to do is to create a parallel "star chamber" system for the prosecution, imprisonment and possible execution of enemies of the state, whether those enemies are foreign or domestic.

Under the cloak of setting up military tribunals to try al-Qaeda suspects and other so-called "unlawful enemy combatants," Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress effectively created a parallel legal system for "any person" – American citizen or otherwise – who crosses some ill-defined line.


There are a multitude of reasons to think that Bush and advisers will interpret every legal ambiguity in the new law in their favor, thus granting Bush the broadest possible powers over people he identifies as enemies.

As further evidence of that, the American people now know that Attorney General Gonzales doesn't even believe that the Constitution grants them habeas corpus rights to a fair trial.

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Originally appeared at www.consortiumnews.com

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http://www.consortiumnews.com

Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories in the 1980s for the Associated Press and Newsweek. His latest book, Secrecy & Privilege: Rise of the Bush Dynasty from Watergate to Iraq, can be ordered at more...)
 

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Rule 38. Jury Trial of Right by billp37 on Friday, Jan 19, 2007 at 10:26:26 AM
They know EXACTLY what they are doing... by Charlie L on Friday, Jan 19, 2007 at 12:06:26 PM
"They"? by Daniel Geery on Friday, Jan 19, 2007 at 7:23:45 PM
CyberChas by Fred F on Friday, Jan 19, 2007 at 10:18:07 PM
gonzo by terk on Friday, Jan 19, 2007 at 7:57:49 PM
Phoney Baloney Crony by Gustav Wynn on Saturday, Jan 20, 2007 at 7:43:31 AM
List For Daniel by Susan Guest on Saturday, Jan 20, 2007 at 8:05:46 AM
About habeas by Eliot Gould on Wednesday, Jan 31, 2007 at 7:49:24 PM

 
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