Military jury convicts bin Laden's ex-driver in Gitmo trial

Thursday 07th August, 04:38 AM JST

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TheNoSpinZone at 04:33 PM JST - 7th August

I agree with Nippon5 and Chimpsahead.

cleo- In this unfortunate war that we did not start, hard choices had to be made to ensure the war would be successfull.

I believe the US has demonstrated to the world that our prisoners are treated with respect to their human rights and dignity.
cleo at 04:43 PM JST - 7th August

skip -

The choice is either abuse people, or let them go? Come on skip, you're usually much more sensible than that. What's wrong with treating people how we would like to be treated if the tables were turned?

Nospin -

hard choices had to be made to ensure the war would be successfull

But it hasn't been....

I believe your belief is unfounded. The US has demonstrated to the world that it is prepared to subject its prisoners to treatment that it would deem torture or at least abuse if applied to its own people by their adversaries. Like I said, sad and scary that people like you don't see this.
SuperLib at 04:45 PM JST - 7th August

So it's better to throw away your own morality and let yourself sink to the level of the other guy?

Sink to the level of the other guy? I know you don't believe that. And you know that I know you don't believe that. So....why are you wasting everyone's time?
skipthesong at 04:50 PM JST - 7th August

What's wrong with treating people how we would like to be treated if the tables were turned? " Yo Cleo, that's my whole point. Why does the US get the finger waved when it wasn't long ago, civilians, not even closely related to the US military were being hung upside down, had heads cut off, tortured to no end, cartoonist killed in their war against the infidel.

The table have been turned on many occasions and I think they failed by a far margin.
TheNoSpinZone at 04:53 PM JST - 7th August

I agree with skipthesong.

We cannot be compard in anyway to these murdering thugs. THe US follows the rule of war. These guys kidnap civilians, torture murder them and release it on the internet, how sick is that?
Nippon5 at 05:20 PM JST - 7th August

Those who say America is not being fair to anyone is just closing their eyes on all the things that go on in every other country. Just because we set a standard doesnt mean any other country is even close that level of human rights, hell they dont even come close enough to our worse level of human rights, so drop the US should do this or that when our level of human rights is maybe too high (look at Singapore)
cleo at 05:55 PM JST - 7th August

These guys kidnap civilians, torture murder them and release it on the internet, how sick is that?

It's sick. But this guy is accused of driving a car, ferchrissakes. No suggestion that he kidnapped, tortured or murdered anyone. If there was a suspicion that he had, surely it would be on his rap sheet. You're saying that every American - every national of a country that has troops in Iraq and/or Afghanistan - is not only fair game for the jihadists, but actually deserves all they might get simply for being one of 'us guys'. I find that sick, too.
TheNoSpinZone at 06:12 PM JST - 7th August

cleo

But the guy knew he was driving a terrorist mastermind. He is a co conspirator at least.

His hands are notb clean. He was deeply involved with the bad guys, and now he has to face justice.
Badsey at 07:15 PM JST - 7th August

This guy should be let go: I have my car packed with surface to air missles and drive around known terrorists every day.. What's the big deal?

Even the French would have waterboarded this guy and then cut off his head. I don't care if he was underpaid for his services and had a poor health benefit plan.

I would send him to a Japanese prison in wintertime. Let him sleep on a cold floor for life (but right now that sounds kind of nice)
Madverts at 07:16 PM JST - 7th August

No Spin,

And those in past and present US administration that were involved with the ba guys....

...oh, heh, sorry! I forgot it's alright that way 'round!
TheNoSpinZone at 07:31 PM JST - 7th August

Madverts

Which members of the past and present UD admin were involved with bad guys?

Strange, considering, we are the good guys.

This terrorist was involved in attcking us.
Nippon5 at 09:53 PM JST - 7th August

No one truely thinks a driver for the leader of the largest terroist group in the world was just a driver do they? If you do I have a bridge to sell you, or maybe Ill buy your car and send you the money for the shipping in a cashiers check just send me the 2500 in shipping back...

Dont even try to say a driver for bin was not also an attacking member of the terrorist group.. Please I was born on a Wednesday but it wasnt yesterday
adaydream at 02:50 AM JST - 8th August

SURPRISE!!!!!?????

NO!!!! < :-)
SezWho2 at 08:19 AM JST - 8th August

Looked at another way, some people are clamoring for the arrest of Bush and for his removal to the International Court and for a war crimes trial. Strangely, though, I don't hear anyone suggesting that Bush's driver or that the pilot of Air Force 1 should also be brought up on charges.

What about other drivers in history? Did we get all of them? Hitler's driver? Tojo's driver? Saddam's driver?

Of course the driver knew who he was driving and of course the driver knew what his passenger was doing. He might have, probably did, agree with bin Laden's cause. But he was a driver, not a wheelman. He was not someone who kept the engine idling to whisk bin Laden away from a murderous hit.

I don't think the point here is whether the driver knew or even what he knew. I think the point is what the driver actually did or did not do. And, thanks to this trial's absence of traditional American protections for the accused, we are not likely ever to know that. American citizens are best protected by according the accused the same protections that are accorded to American citizens.

Those who find it amusing when someone shows up at the door and says, "I'm from the government. I'm here to help," may want to have a second thought when the government says, "I'm your government and you don't need to know what I'm doing."
cleo at 09:31 AM JST - 8th August

No one truely thinks a driver for the leader of the largest terroist group in the world was just a driver do they?

They tried him for serving as bin Laden’s armed bodyguard and driver in Afghanistan. That means either:

1)The US government thinks he was just a driver: or

2)The US government tries people for one thing then punishes them for another thing that isn't made public.

If 2) is the case, then the 'the US has the moral high ground' team need to take a good long look at what it is they're supporting, and Nippon5 needs to prepare to purchase 6 deluded judges' cars.

Following the rule that the simple is more likely to be true than the convoluted, I think (and hope) that 1) is the case.