Sen. Sessions Wants Indefinite Detention for Terrorism Detainees
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) -- last seen slandering Justice Department lawyers and then distancing himself from Liz Cheney’s similar slanders -- goes way
Jul 31, 20201.1M Shares15.4M Views
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) – last seen slandering Justice Department lawyersand then distancing himself from Liz Cheney’s similar slanders— goes way furtherthan Sen. Lindsey Graham’s objectionsto a civilian trial for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. He writes in a New York Daily News op-ed:
“„According to the 2009 Military Commissions Act, foreign terrorists violating the rules of war are “unprivileged enemy belligerents” and thus eligible for indefinite military detention. This applies to both terrorists captured overseas and those who infiltrate our borders. Moreover, the legislation included an amendment I offered which explicitly states that Al Qaeda operatives are by definition “unprivileged enemy belligerents,” who can be detained and tried by the military.
So on the presumption that the third sentence here doesn’t contradict the first, Sessions is saying that al-Qaeda detainees should just be held on an indefinite basis by the military. Adam Serwer, in a related context, remindsthat the courts have consistently ruled — as with the habeas cases — that detainees have the right to challenge their detention. As much as Sessions wouldn’t like that to be true, a new indefinite detention system will immediately be hit with court challenges — challenges that will probably succeed.
The question then becomes: If the White House takes Graham’s deal to trade a civilian trial for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed for closing Guantanamo, does that forestall a push from Sessions (and John McCain and Joe Lieberman) for indefinite detention — or pave the way for it?
Paolo Reyna
Reviewer
Paolo Reyna is a writer and storyteller with a wide range of interests. He graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies.
Paolo enjoys writing about celebrity culture, gaming, visual arts, and events. He has a keen eye for trends in popular culture and an enthusiasm for exploring new ideas. Paolo's writing aims to inform and entertain while providing fresh perspectives on the topics that interest him most.
In his free time, he loves to travel, watch films, read books, and socialize with friends.
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