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.

Ahmed Ressam – who was caught trying to smuggle a trunkload of explosives into Washington state from Victoria in December 1999 – was sentenced by a Seattle federal judge on Wednesday on charges of conspiracy to commit an international terrorist act, explosives smuggling and other criminal counts.

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:

The judge said he also hoped to show that the U.S. justice system handled such cases in a fair and transparent manner. He made an apparent contrast to the treatment of many people detained after the Sept. 11 attacks, such as those being held at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

“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!