The Obama administration’s decision to try Kalid Sheik Mohammed (KSM) in a civilian court rather than before a military tribunal left many Americans mystified. Since Attorney General Eric Holder’s old law firm defends terrorists held in Gitmo (and did so while he was a senior partner there), we can assume that a Justice Department under his control will not successfully or even vigorously prosecute this confessed mastermind of the September 11th attacks. Much time and money will be wasted in parading KSM through the legal process. There is, however, a way to serve justice swiftly and, one might even say, diplomatically.
It is well known that KSM revealed vital information about the al Qaeda organization that enabled Americans to interdict terrorist attacks against our country. This information was obtained with the help of interrogation methods that included waterboarding. These methods, many believe, are the real target of the Obama administration in this trial, since KSM has already confessed to his integral role in the 9/11 attacks. In a civilian court, the methods of interrogation are as much on trial as the defendant, especially when the defendant’s prosecutors are sympathetic to and indistinguishable from the defendant’s defenders.
If Obama and Holder’s Justice Department do not really wish to prosecute KSM, and the defendant’s release is expected if not desired, then let’s not waste time with a civilian court or a military tribunal.
Instead of dragging KSM to New York for a months-long terrorist trial circus, let President Obama simply pardon him. And not in a quiet, weekend ceremony in the middle of the night, as Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid handle controversial votes on health care. Arrange a reception in the White House Rose Garden, with a band, supportive members of the media, and a 70-virgin choir vocalizing Islamic chants.
Let Obama present KSM with some sort of award (too bad the Nobel Peace Prize is already taken for the year) recognizing his service to America. A cash stipend might not be out of order either–a million or two would hardly be missed in the federal spending spree currently underway. Obama could even claim that Paid Islamic Informant is one of the 60,000 phantom jobs created or saved by the stimulus bill.
Such accolades may seem excessive to those of us who view KSM as a confessed enemy of our nation and murderer of our countrymen. But consider how he will be received by his fellow terrorists once he is publicly congratulated and rewarded for the information he provided to the Great Satan. Who knows how many Predator missile strikes, covert assaults, and dead terrorists resulted from information KSM provided to his interrogators? He can hardly claim a hero’s welcome after ratting out his fellow rats.
Thus, I think al Qaeda will mete out the proper punishment to this blabbermouth with much less of the delay, hand-wringing and endless appeal that a US civil court trial would guarantee. If we’re lucky, maybe al Jazeera or some enterprising Islamist youtuber will post a grainy video of KSM losing his head at the hands of some sword-wielding fanatic.
This is the best way to punish KSM. But the real target of this trial is not the entity identified by those three initials. The real targets are the entities identified by the initials FBI, CIA, and USA.
Those are the enemies of the Obama administration. But in three years, we’ll have a chance to vote for president again. Then we can get rid of the ultimate three-letter enemy: BHO.
