The so-called Millenium Bomber, Ahmed Ressam, who was caught attempting to cross the US border from Canada in 1999 on the way to bomb LAX has been sentenced to 22 years in prison.
U.S. District Court Judge John Coughenour, while handing down the sentence had this to say about the integrity of the US justice system in dealing with terrorist cases:
“We did not need to use a secret military tribunal, detain the defendant indefinitely or deny the defendant the right to counsel,” Coughenour said in court.
“Our courts have not abandoned the commitment to the ideals that set this nation apart.”
Bravo!
Now there’s a judge who has proven that you don’t have to forego the constitution and international treaties in order to successfully handle these types of cases. More importantly, he took the opportunity handed to him in this high profile case to make a politcal statement of major importance. That’s to be admired.
Take that, Bushco!