By Sam Wechsler – Talk Radio News Service

Suspected terrorists must be prosecuted through federal civilian courts and not military commissions, said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill) at a Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee hearing Tuesday.

Senator Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) argued that unforseen national security risks arise when terrorists are tried in federal civilian courts. He explained how during the prosecution of Ramsey Yusef, who was involved in plotting the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, a seemingly innocent piece of testimony concerning the delivery of a cell phone battery allowed at-large terrorists to discover that a means of communication had been compromised.

According to Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the only reason that the security risk occurred during Yusef’s trial was because prosecutors failed to employ the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA). Durbin says the government prosectors bypassed the use of CIPA so as to not release the names of several unindicted co-conspirators. Durbin added that he believes the government has learned from its mistakes.

“To argue that American courts cannot prosecute terrorists? Look at the facts. We’ve not only done it in the past, we’re doing it now,” said Durbin. He explained that 145 terrorists were convicted and sentenced in federal courts from September 11, 2001 through the end of 2007. Jeh C. Johnson, General Counsel for the Department of Defense, said that only three terrorists have been convicted through military commissions since 9/11.

Durbin also made his case for closing down the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, saying that no prisoner has ever escaped from a federal super maximum security facility.

“If we don’t bring suspected terrorists to this country to be prosecuted and detained, it’s almost impossible to close Guantanamo,” he said.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says that federal super maximum security prisons are capable of holding terrorists, and adds that nobody has ever escaped from one (0:37).

 

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Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says America is capable of prosecuting terrorists inside its borders. (0:09)

 

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Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Ca) discusses explains that his legislation, “The Terrorist Detainees Procedures Act of 2009”, would have military courts-martial prosecute accused terrorists. (0:35)

 

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By Aaron Richardson

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Ca) testified Wednesday at a hearing surrounding the legal issues of the military commissions system, stating that there is a better way to prosecute the detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

“Some call for the creation of a National Security Court to try the detainees and others have advocated all the detainees go into federal criminal courts. Earlier this year I introduced the HR 1315 “The Terrorist Detainees Procedures Act of 2009” The legislation would make use of the military courts-martial and would prosecute the detainees as unlawful combatants.” said Schiff.

Schiff also testified how he felt about the way the current system that is in place.

“I believe the commissions system has proved so flawed and the due process proved inadequate and discredited that in the case of the detainees at Guantanamo should be completely dropped,” Schiff said.

According to a statement released by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tx) the issue is not the way in which the detainees are being prosecuted, but the rights they may receive as possible terrorists.

“Now President Obama wants to give known terrorists the constitutional rights of citizens on trial in the U.S. Once terrorists are given additional rights, such as the right to remain silent, of course they do just that. The result is no interrogations, no information and possibly more attacks.”

Former U.S. Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) quotes a fellow member of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism. He says the risk of the use of weapons of mass destruction is growing but the U.S. is doing things in an attempt to prevent it. He says the U.S. is “running” but terrorists are “running faster.” (0:42)

 

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Former U.S. Senator Jim Talent (R-Mo.) terrorists will recruit life scientists to create biological weapons. He says it is easier to adapt, weaponize, and stockpile biological weapons than nuclear arms. (0:39)

 

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By Celia Canon- Talk Radio News Service

General David Petraeus, Commander of the United States Central Command, warned that military missions against terrorist groups are comprehensive and require more than force.

 “Countering terrorism requires more than counter-terrorist operations,” said Petraeus today in a speech to the Center of a New American Security.  The General went on to discuss the implications of shifting military attention from Iraq to Afghanistan and Pakistan and how the U.S.’ experience in Iraq should optimize the efficiency of military operations in other countries.

“As we turn and shift our focus to Afghanistan and Pakistan it is very important to reflect on what we learned from Iraq and to remember that you have to apply what was learned there with a very nuanced understanding…of local circumstances,” said Petraeus.

Petraeus was one of the leading figures during the 2007 surge of U.S. troops in Iraq, a move that increased U.S. military capability in the Middle East by more than 20,000 soldiers and additional brigades. The surge was instrumental in the counterinsurgency mission that would help secure the region. Petraeus completed his work in Iraq by rebuilding the Iraqi army. 

Petraeus highlighted the success of the U.S. army in improving security conditions, stating “We’ve gone from a situation in which June of 2006 or 2007 saw 160 attacks per day on average. in Iraq it is now between 10 and 15 attacks per day and has been that way for about 6 months now; in fact in the low end of that in recent weeks.”

However, Petraeus did concede that last month was an exception. There were over 400 attacks in May, the highest in the country’s post-invasion history.

The General touched upon the peacekeeping role that the army has recently acquired with the Iraq mission and named the safety of the civilian population as a major priority.

“The overriding mission of a military force in counterinsurgency has to be to secure the people and…be seen as securing and serving them. This is hugely important,” said Petraeus.

Petraeus explained that once security has been established throughout the country, the U.S. would not be able to leave Afghanistan until they have assured that the established government follows a peace-ensuring criteria.

By Celia Canon- Talk Radio News Service

Despite the uncertainties that Congressional Republican leaders have on the efficacy of the reform of the International Monetary Fund, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is adamant that “The IMF will have a strong support from the Democrats.”

Pelosi defended the international organization today at her weekly press conference where she also mentioned the success of her recent bipartisan trip to China.

House Minority Leader John Boehner and Senate Minority Whip Eric Cantormay, backed by other House Representatives who fear that Democrats are fusing two very different entities, the IMF and a bill, together, said that “Weighing down this critical legislation with non-defense spending will only drag this process out further and cost it essential Republican support needed for passage.”

Cantor added that “We should not be having this discussion. IMF funding has no business being included in the war supplemental bill,” while adding that the funding may result in helping terror-sponsoring states such as Pakistan.

The debate over funding of the IMF has stemmed from President Barack Obama’s announcement at the April Group of 20 meeting that $100 billion will be granted to the IMF as part of the U.S war-bill which should further the fight against the global economic crisis.

Obama also said that the U.S would support the IMF as it sell 400 tons of gold, whilst Pelosi reminded that “It [the IMF] has been reformed so that it will help the poor. They wanted to sell gold, we said you can, but the proceeds have to go to help the poor.”

Responding to Cantor’s allegations, Pelosi said “I don’t know why anyone would say that the money is going to the hands of terrorists, it’s simply not based on facts and is a scare tactic.”

Pelosi also said “There are two contradictory things: one says that one shouldn’t be on war funding, which is our responsibility to support our troops in the war in Iraq, end the war in Iraq, bring our troops home and fight terrorism where is it a threat to our country, which is in Afghanistan, and we know that we have to do that.” She added that “The IMF, in its reformed state, can be a force for alleviating the despair amongst people in the world. It’s a very important national security initiative.”

“The issue of the IMF, I think, has strong support on the Democrats’ side; not any support we’re hearing on the Republican side,” Pelosi said.

This war-bill, which involves military and diplomacy costs for Iraq and Afghanistan, will skyrocket to over $100 billion.

By Celia Canon- Talk Radio News Service

Americans should be more concerned by the proliferation of nuclear weapons from North Korea to other states or non-state actors, rather than focus on a direct N.Korean nuclear attack on the Western World.

Such was the conclusion of former Secretary of Defense William Perry when addressing the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) on U.S nuclear weapons policy today.

“When we are concerned about proliferation, for example from N.Korea to Iran, we are concerned with the possibility that nuclear terrorists might be a bomb… The greater danger is that the bomb or the fissile material leak from one of these countries.” said Perry.

On Monday, N.Korea announced that it had successfully detonated and underground nuclear bomb, and on Tuesday, it launched two short-range ballistic missiles. As a result, the Obama administration may be facing an unexpected turn in the nuclear debate.

The topic is gaining momentum as talks between the U.S and Russia on the renewal of the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start) are feared to be unsuccessful.

That N.Korea has nuclear capabilities and is testing missiles has fanned the flames on the necessity to reconsider the reduction in the Department of Defense FY2010 budget.

Perry was joined by Brent Scowcroft, former assistant to the President for National Security Affairs who explained that “a great danger in nuclear terrorism lies with the civilian nuclear power and the loose fissile material that comes with that.”

Scowcroft appealed to the security dilemma to provide a link between N.Korea or Iran acquiring a nuclear power and nuclear terrorism.

“If we don’t put a cap on proliferation now, we could easily face 30 or 40 countries with that capability, That is not a better world,” said Scowcroft, adding that “If [Iran and N.Korea] are free to enrich uranium to weapons grade, then you have others who want to do it just for protection or whatever and then you have a tremendous danger of terrorists getting hold of fissile material and then its relatively easy.”

The U.S government had already started to deal with this problem under the Bush junior administration, as Perry explains: “For one thing I support the initiative of the previous administration called the Proliferation Security initiative (PSI) and the recent moves to strengthen this initiative.”

Former President George.W. Bush said that PSI’s aim is “to keep the world’s most destructive weapons away from our shores and out of the hands of our common enemies.”

The initiative is limited to controlling alien ships in one’s waters to search for weapons. Airways are however not part of the PSI.