The end’s in sight. The war against terrorism is coming to an end. The law enforcement action against those who do Americans harm has evolved.
The hard Left in this country was, like the rest of us rallied, however briefly, around a strong President taking action in response to 9/11 to protect our shores and to keep Americans safe abroad. That support was not long-lasting. From the start, they recognized that a real war would require sacrifice and would divert resources from their goal of expanding domestic programs — universal healthcare for example.
With the decision by President Obama to move the trials of 9/11 mastermind Khlid Sheikh Mohammed and four other terrorist suspects into civilian courts in New York, the President makes it clear that he thinks terrorism is a police matter. Even New York Gov. David Paterson objects. “This is not a decision I would have made,” he said. “I think terrorism isn’t just attack, it’s anxiety and I think you feel the anxiety and frustration of New Yorkers who took the bullet for the rest of the country,” he said.
New York City, as well as those who served in the Pentagon and those who were aboard the seized airliners, did take the bullet for the rest of the country. What happened then — and I think what happened at Ft. Hood –was an attack on America.
The Left would like to be done with the war in Iraq and Afghanistan so that it can take those resources and direct them to Obamacare. An indecisive President is indecisive because, I suspect, he agrees with them and wants to get out, but not in a way that makes a cut-and-run retreat obvious, lest the consequences for the Middle East be blamed on him and his party in Congress.
Civilian trials for terrorists is another effort to ease terrorism from a military/natonal security to a law enforcement/justice problem.
100 comments Add your comment
My personal Lord and Saviour, Rush Limbaugh
November 17th, 2009
7:57 am
You tell them Jim, the libs would rather give everyone healthcare rather than spend billions on a war fought under false pretenses. I vote for war, war on drugs,terrorism,and illegal immigrants.
jt
November 17th, 2009
8:41 am
“Civilian trials for terrorists is another effort to ease terrorism from a military/natonal security to a law enforcement/justice problem.”
Because of the precedents, It is also is an effective effort to get American civilians to accept the idea of being tortured and held for years without a trial.
In the mind of a statist, refusing to pay taxes, using an incadensant lightbulb, or driving a gas-guzzler is just as damaging to the collective will as a terrorist attack.
jconservative
November 17th, 2009
9:07 am
Disagree. Trying the terrorist in a military court elevates them to the status of a military prisoner of war. They are not military, they are civilians who murder other civilians. They should be tried as civilians and put to death as civilians. Give them the same treatment we have McVeigh, trial & death.
Ward
November 17th, 2009
9:26 am
They aren’t citizens, they’re prisoners of war, captured in a battlefield following an attack. They should be treated as such and tried in military tribunals. And moving the prisoners from Guantanamo to Illinois doesn’t change anything… it only allows BO to claim he’s accomplished something.
Del
November 17th, 2009
9:32 am
Obowma and that idiot he has for an A.G. are only throwing a bone to the hard-left by moving this to a civilian court in New York. It would be amusing watching this bogus president ditty bopping on a tight rope if it wasn’t so damaging to the country.
norman ravitch
November 17th, 2009
9:36 am
This may be Waterloo for Obama.
Barackula
November 17th, 2009
9:43 am
Honk if you’ve been hit by Joe Biden’s motorcade
Chris Salzmann
November 17th, 2009
9:47 am
JW SAID: The hard Left in this country was, like the rest of us rallied, however briefly, around a strong President taking action in response to 9/11 to protect our shores and to keep Americans safe abroad.
CHRIS SAYS: Yeah Jim, we rallied till we realized right after the invasion of Afghanistan that the “War on Terrorism” was just another excuse to settle scores. The invasion of Iraq is an example of that. The Bush Administration put 90% of its resources into the war in Iraq while letting Afghanistan fester. Soon after we invaded Afghanistan, the Taliban were discredited, defeated and on the run. In the 7 years since then, we let them regroup and reorganize because all our resources were concentrated in Iraq.
JW SAID: That support was not long-lasting. From the start, they recognized that a real war would require sacrifice and would divert resources from their goal of expanding domestic programs — universal healthcare for example.
CHRIS SAYS: Sacrifice??? Remember President Bush’s advice to Americans after 9/11??? Go shoppiing!!! Yeah, so much for shared sacrifice. Expanding domestic programs? Remember the Prescription Program for Medicare under President Bush??? What the heck do you call that? I guess you conservatives would rather spend our funds abroad than here in our own country.
JW SAID: With the decision by President Obama to move the trials of 9/11 mastermind Khlid Sheikh Mohammed and four other terrorist suspects into civilian courts in New York, the President makes it clear that he thinks terrorism is a police matter.
CHRIS SAYS: Why do you conservatives have such little faith in our justice system? These terrorists are criminal scum and should be treated as such. We tried and convicted the 1993 New York bombing suspects in civilian court and convicted them.
jt
November 17th, 2009
9:56 am
CHRIS SAYS: Why do you conservatives have such little faith in our justice system?
jt replies: Harvard lawyers.
Cutty
November 17th, 2009
10:04 am
How could it be a ‘war’ on terror if there was never a Declaration of War issued by Congress? You conservatives preach so much about the Constitution, yet don’t even read it.
“We’ll be greeted as liberators!”
“They’re in the north, the south, the east, and the west!”
What kind of victory did this country get out of Iraq? None.
Bottom line: There cannot be a ‘real’ war without a Declaration of War. Your boy Bush skirted around this to promote his hair-brained scheme in Iraq, to horrible results. Read the Constitution you ‘patriot’. smh.
Del
November 17th, 2009
10:28 am
Cutty,
It sounds as though you’ve been out of touch for the past year. George Bush competed his second term in office last year and John McCain ran as a Republican and lost to now president obama Mr. Obowma doesn’t seem to know that he is now the president because he continues to run against the previous administration while the country has been waiting for him to begin governing.
Chris Salzmann
November 17th, 2009
10:43 am
Del November 17th, 2009 10:28 am SAID: president obama Mr. Obowma doesn’t seem to know that he is now the president because he continues to run against the previous administration while the country has been waiting for him to begin governing.
CHRIS SAYS: President Obama has to play with the cards dealt by the previous Bush administration and continues to play those cards. Afghanistan? See my 9:47 post. Recession? This recession started in December 2007. Who was the President then? Obowma? You conservatives are really pretty amusing. President Obama bowing to the King of Saudi Arabia and the Japanese Emperor is what people call respect. You get respect when you dish it out. The old playground bully tactics don’t work. An important life lesson I guess the parents of all you conservatives forgot to instill in you. I guess that’s the result of poor parenting on their part so I really shouldn’t blame you entirely. Yeah, President Bush’s “my way or the highway” really helped our image, right? But what would the likes of Hannity, Limbaugh and Glenn and yourself know about respect? All three of them, BTW, all none-college educated windbags.
Peter
November 17th, 2009
10:48 am
Hey Jim……. Type something when you have an idea……Boy you write some propaganda CRAP !
Mutts R Stupid
November 17th, 2009
10:49 am
The End is Near: Does that mean the aj urinal will soon be history? Ah sure hope so. Let us also end the disproportionate taxation of Metro Atlanta to benefit rural Georgia. Time for Jim and his rural land owner ilk to start paying their fair share of property taxes. No more 6 mils in taxes for rural property, while in the Metro area we pay 20 mils, with part of our tax money going to support rural schools for the local yokels.
Cutty
November 17th, 2009
10:52 am
Del. Why do you think the present administration stopped using the term ‘war on terror.’ Your man Wooten called Bush a strong President. smh. Well I would rather be weak and right, than strong and wrong. You repubs would rather drop bombs on another country than try terrorists in our own judicial system. There are a number of terrorists who were tried in civilian courts here and are in federal prison right now for their crimes. You ‘patriots’ are doing nothing more than stirring fear and going against anything the President does. Even Bob Barr and Grover Norquist believe this is a non-issue. But leave it to Wooten to try and make something of it.
Peter
November 17th, 2009
10:52 am
The one thing I can say about Jim….he is a true America Divider……and sore looser !
Hard to believe he calls himself “Common Sense ” ?
Lost American...
November 17th, 2009
10:55 am
As a true American that refuses to label myself as either Conservative or Liberal, I am saddend be those on the right that insist that these times be viewed as for or against us… Its not that simple. We have spent Billions of dollars and Thousands of lives fighting a war that the hard right defines one way and the hard left defines another. Why should the American people have to decide between Feeling safe abroad and being healthy at home? And for Mr Wooten to frame these times in that manner does a dis-service to my Friend SSG Carl Fuller who was killed in Iraq and to my mother who died as Signa denied her coverage. We as a nation don’t have to choose one over the other… But I guess I am neither Republican nor Democrate..I am just an American and that just does not seem to be enough…..
ATL Resident
November 17th, 2009
10:56 am
Wow Jim. Actual paragraphs and more than one paragraph about the same topic. You ARE making progress.
booger
November 17th, 2009
10:58 am
I’m sure you will all feel a bit safer now that we are being protected from terrorists by the Atlanta police department.
Barackula
November 17th, 2009
10:59 am
I love the link on drudgereport today from ABC
It appears that the ONLY jobs created by the “Stimulus” have been at the recovery.gov website. The taxpayers have now forked out more than $30 million dollars for a site that posts inaccurate and deceptive numbers in some sort of nefarious method.
Stop Obama and the Dems now!
No more bills. No more spending. No more regulation. No more screwing around with my life.
As soon as I get home I’ll be in front of my congressman’s district office protesting.
I’ve never been involved in any sort of protest before. That’s changed as of today.
Astroturf my butt….. Kiss my butt Democrats and Republicans. The WAR to take my country back has begun.
Democrats are just plain STUPID !
Chris Salzmann
November 17th, 2009
10:59 am
Lost American… November 17th, 2009 10:55 am SAID: As a true American that refuses to label myself as either Conservative or Liberal, I am saddend be those on the right that insist that these times be viewed as for or against us… Its not that simple. We have spent Billions of dollars and Thousands of lives fighting a war that the hard right defines one way and the hard left defines another. Why should the American people have to decide between Feeling safe abroad and being healthy at home? And for Mr Wooten to frame these times in that manner does a dis-service to my Friend SSG Carl Fuller who was killed in Iraq and to my mother who died as Signa denied her coverage. We as a nation don’t have to choose one over the other… But I guess I am neither Republican nor Democrate..I am just an American and that just does not seem to be enough…..
CHRIS SAYS: Well said.
Ray Pugh
November 17th, 2009
11:00 am
But remember, Chris, college (and especially grad school) doesn’t educate you, it “indoctrinates” you. We should only listen to, elect, and exalt as role models those who have spent the least amount of time on their education, as long as they love Jesus and remember to call all who oppose them gay terrorist commies…
Del
November 17th, 2009
11:07 am
Chris Salzmann,
First of all my parents are both deceased and of course you’ve never known them any more than I’ve known yours. By making derogatory suppositions about my parents who once again you’ve never known you paint yourself as a jack ass. I won’t, however, blame your parents for that because I believe you have to take full responsibility. As for Obama playing Bush’s cards?. No he was elected and took the oath of office so he now has to take accountability. If you have a college education you should have learned that fact of life in America.
Chris Broe
November 17th, 2009
11:09 am
Jim Wooten is…..RIGHT! I’m shocked that they are allowing that controversial criminal into New York practically in the shadow of ground zero. Sarah Palin should go back to Alaska.
The war on terror was a joke from day one. I can never forgive the executive branch of our government for invading Iraq when the 911 conspirators were surrounded and sitting ducks for our army in Afghanistan, but our executive branch “wasn’t concerned where Osama Bin Laden is”.
I use the term “executive branch” loosely because I dont know which of the two parts of our executive branch was our defacto commander in chief when we let Osama and Al Queda escape.
Invading Iraq was the single most criminal act in our
Chris Salzmann
November 17th, 2009
11:16 am
Ray Pugh November 17th, 2009 11:00 am SAID:…….., as long as they love Jesus and remember to call all who oppose them gay terrorist commies…
CHRIS SAYS: If Jesus descended in this country today, conservative hacks would call him exactly that. For those who don’t believe me, read the New Testament.
Chris Broe
November 17th, 2009
11:17 am
history of mankind
Audrey in Georgia
November 17th, 2009
11:17 am
Why didn’t the Bush Administration take the 9/11 terrorists out with the same expediency as
Saddam Hussein? If weapons of mass destruction have not been found in Iraq, shouldn’t the
Iraq war be over? Ditto to jconservative.
Georgia3
November 17th, 2009
11:18 am
You got that right Ray…I concur with what Ghandi said about liking our Christ, but not our Christians – since they don’t seem to follow what Christ was about.
And as far as gays?….You know what Christ said about homosexuality? Nothing…but it says it’s wrong in the bible – right there in Leviticus whhere it also says it’s an abomination to eat shrimp!
Chris Broe
November 17th, 2009
11:20 am
If Jesus came today, we’d crucify him
Ray Pugh
November 17th, 2009
11:22 am
Well of course Chris:
A) he had long hair and (probably) wasn’t married, so of course he was gay;
B) he had a beard, a tan and spoke gibberish, so probably a terrorist to; and WORST of all he;
C) CRITICIZED CAPITALISM! SOCIALIST SCUM!!!
Ray Pugh
November 17th, 2009
11:29 am
Georgia3: just for clarification purposes, the Apostle Paul in the Book of Romans re-states that homosexuality is an abomination. You see, many Christians are so stupid/hypocritical to think that they don’t have to obey ALL the Bible, just the passages that suit their agenda, all in spite of the fact that JC explicitly stated he “came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it”…
William
November 17th, 2009
11:30 am
Liberals know nothing about war! However, they all have law degrees or pretend to. And they are sooo intelligent! Just ask them.
If I were a terrorists coming to America, I would defend myself. As a terrorist,(using common sense)I would do anything to promote my jihad(sort of like liberals). I would demand CIA, FBI, and Military Intellgence gathering files for my defense. I would expose how the US did things to the world and it does not matter if I get off scott free or not. A CIA or FBI agent could not fart without my jihadists friends knowing who and where. Yes, my extremism could only be compared to the left. I would awaken the hidden/inactive jihadists cells in America. 911 would look like a backyard barbeque. And I would thank ERIC HOLDER for his consistency in leading toward socialism which opened the door for the JIHADISTS.
Ray Pugh
November 17th, 2009
11:31 am
God I love Shanghai-ing Wooten’s blog…
just thinking...
November 17th, 2009
11:33 am
So… Which country will let us hold the terrorist trials?
Del
November 17th, 2009
11:37 am
Ray Pugh,
Ignorance is bliss
Lost American...
November 17th, 2009
11:37 am
William…Please tell us about war? have you ever been? When and where? I have been…( Desert Storm 1991, Panama 1990). As an American Vet, I know the horrors of war and make no apologies for defending my country, But as a human, There is no way that you could have stared war in the eyes and be OK with fight out of choice…
Ray Pugh
November 17th, 2009
11:45 am
William, that sounds logical, until you think about it longer than 3 seconds, that is. Try my new book, “Coherence for Ranters”; it may not only improve your blog postings, but your life as well!
Ray Pugh
November 17th, 2009
11:48 am
Del,
Care to elaborate on that? Instead of hurling out vague invectives, try rubbing those two little dusty cells in between your ears together and come up w/ a well-reasoned commentary. Oh wait–that sounds a little too much like science, which we all know the Right is allegeric to…
just thinking...
November 17th, 2009
12:04 pm
So… Which country will let us hold the terrorist trials?
William
November 17th, 2009
12:31 pm
Lost American…
November 17th, 2009
11:37 am
I am a vet too. My cousin and I loved the smell of battle. Some do some do not. However my cousin was a great warrior and he love it. I am glad you are human.
Ray Pugh
November 17th, 2009
11:45 am
So what is ranting? You mean what I said could not happen? I could not defend myself under the constitution. I am sure one of the terrorist will attempt to defend themselves using that very threat to acquire intelligence gathering files. If there is a liberal judge, an activist liberal judge, he will get his choice. So you are so sure that these terrorist I mean criminals will not exploit this opportunity as they did on 911? Look who is logical for three seconds now.
The American People
November 17th, 2009
12:38 pm
The end is near alright, the truth about Obama’s birthplace will be coming out next year, there is a court case in January to get things rolling. I just have one question, Mr. President why don’t you just release this thing and end this madness? Unless you do have something to hide.
Just A Grunt
November 17th, 2009
12:50 pm
The problem with using the law enforcement model to battle Muslim extremists is that first a crime must be committed. Now if that crime happens to involve a fanatic self exploding at your local mall oh well, so be it.
Jake
November 17th, 2009
1:04 pm
Cutty, Chris S, and the rest – Can you explain to me how more troops into Afghanistan and more body bags out is the change you hoped for when you voted for O?
JF McNamara
November 17th, 2009
1:12 pm
Did this meet the Wooten Checklist?
1. Did I call liberals dumb or weak? Check!
2. Did I criticize Obama? Check!
3. Did I write something that might grab attention from birthers and other extreme Republicans? Check!
How about adding these?
4. Did I try to logically understand and explain both sides of the argument?
5. Did I add anything other than what has already been said by other right wing cheerleaders?
We can spend billions of dollars fighting our own fear of a terrorist attack that might happen into perpetuity and we will still get attacked if someone puts forward the effort. Fear drove us into a war with Iraq that we couldn’t afford and for which we gained nothing but more headache.
We may as well try another direction since the path we were on for the since 2001 hasn’t worked. You have to agree with that since you are completely paralyzed by fear despite having it your way for 8 years.
Bronco
November 17th, 2009
1:14 pm
Being they the trial are being held on US ground Maybe just maybe they will be sentenced to picking up trash around the white house.
William
November 17th, 2009
1:24 pm
Just A Grunt
Excellent point!
William
November 17th, 2009
1:25 pm
JF McNamara
November 17th, 2009
1:12 pm
Kinda reminds of you the Bush bashing years dont it…
Del
November 17th, 2009
1:32 pm
JF McNamara,
You must be living in your own little bubble of ideological denial. After 9-11 and for the balance of GWB’s first term and full second term America wasn’t successfully attacked even though there were several failed attempts. Obama, doesn’t have a track record and some could say things don’t look good for our continued safety. I’m among the concerned, however, I’ll reserve judgment and hope there is still sufficient residual from the Bush era programs that kept this country safe to continue protection from those who want to destroy us and our way of life. BTW…that’s not fear it’s reality. Please try to be somewhat accurate in commenting on what is now written in history otherwise you just make yourself sound foolish.
Lost American...
November 17th, 2009
2:31 pm
Del
November 17th, 2009
1:32 pm
Can we please get away from the notion that Bush protected this country from attack. If the Obama supporters are not allowed to continually blame Bush for the mess that is right now, then the Bushies can not blame Clinton for 911. The fact is on September 11,2001, GWB was in the Whitehouse and that is on him. The fact that Nothing happend after that point lends itself to the fact that it was such a catostropic blow! The extremist put all of their eggs in the 911 basket and I don’t think there was a plan for a follow up attack. And yes we have prevented additional attacks, But that 911 bell can not be un-rung…. it happend under his watch and regardless of how he tries o spin it, it was on him.
GaNative
November 17th, 2009
2:32 pm
I see the Golden Boy Republican Pat Swindall has made the news again. This guy is as crooked as they come.