Abu Ali guilty of terror plot

November 22, 2005 3:40 PM

Abu Ali guilty of terror plot. A Virginia jury has found Ahmed Omar Abu Ali guilty of terrorism related crimes. The prosecution charged he provided material support to Al Qaeda (pdf). His defenders claim his confession while in Saudi custody was obtained through torture. Does the goal of preventing terrorism justify relying on the Saudi's questionable interrogation methods?
posted by justkevin (11 comments total)

"Round up the usual suspects." -Casablanca

In related news, Jose Padilla has finally been charged... with actions which have absolutely nothing to do with the crime he was accused of 3 years ago, and on the eve of the Supreme Court having a hearing on his case. Lovely.
posted by clevershark at 3:48 PM on November 22, 2005

Does the goal of preventing terrorism justify relying on the Saudi's questionable interrogation methods?

Yes. In fact, I encourage the Saudis to do whatever it takes to get what they're looking for. Go Saudis!
posted by Necker at 4:11 PM on November 22, 2005

A US judge allowed a confession obtained through torture in Saudi Arabia into evidence? Whoa.
posted by VulcanMike at 4:54 PM on November 22, 2005

Yes, Necker, I agree everyone should be subjected to whatever it takes to get what they are looking for. Thanks for volunteering to go first.
posted by StickyCarpet at 4:55 PM on November 22, 2005

I submit that Necker should be subjected to whatever means are necessary to ascertain why his ass is harboring a known terrorist such as his head.
posted by stenseng at 6:05 PM on November 22, 2005

Mission Accomplished!
posted by Balisong at 7:27 PM on November 22, 2005

Responding to Necker and StickyC: Well, why rely on testimony at all? Why not do away with the requirement of evidence as a prerequisite of proof altogether? Let's lynch 'em before they get a trial or would burning them at the stake be more to your liking? Confessions given under torture cannot deemed to qualify as unimpeachable evidence.

stenseng, my sentiments exactly!
posted by Azaadistani at 7:40 PM on November 22, 2005

Uh, StickyC was clearly mocking Necker, not agreeing with him, Az. Just FYI.
posted by hincandenza at 11:18 PM on November 22, 2005

I don't know if this is bad netiquet since I just posted this to another thread, but it seems even more approprate here:

The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted. — D.H. Lawrence
posted by donfactor at 5:23 AM on November 23, 2005

I think that it is important that these things are finally seeing open court. I haven't seen the evidence nor have I followed this case closely, but my understanding was that the judge allowed the confession into trial so that the jurors could decide and weight its validity. I have no problem with that as long as the defense can do their thing to poke holes in it.
I guess what I'm saying is that I support the process, the outcome ... well, I'd rather see a jury of 12 peers, than a jury by media.
posted by forforf at 8:05 AM on November 23, 2005

I have no problem with that as long as the defense can do their thing to poke holes in it.

Well they certainly tried. They had their medical experts testify to evidence of torture, the government rebutted that evidence with their experts. And the federal jury found him guilty on all 9 accounts against him, including conspiracy to assassinate the president.

I don't understand how an American jury could rely on "evidence" of a confession made to Saudi jailers. Did this not ring any alarm bells?

And Padillo's case makes me by turns angry and utterly sad. They initially arrested him in May 2002 on charges of plotting to manufacture a dirty bomb. The President and Ashcroft (no doubt wearing their little flag pins) conspired to hold this United States citizen illegally for 3 years without any access to his legal council, without ever formally bringing charges against him, without giving him his speedy trial-- clearly violating his 6th ammendment rights.

Now that the Supreme Court is about to hear evidence on whether or not the U.S. Government can indefinitely hold U. S. citizens, Gonzales has charged him with conspiracy to murder individuals overseas. Not a word about the dirty bomb plot. They've charged him with all this new shit in the hopes that the Supreme Court will find the question of the constitutionality of denying an American citizen his rights by applying the label "enemy combatant" moot.

I don't understand how it got to this point. I don't understand why there isn't more outrage. I guess I don't understand my fellow Americans at all anymore. What I thought "America" "Patriotism" and "Constitution" meant apparently no longer applies.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 8:56 AM on November 23, 2005