TPM LiveWire

Graham: But What Would Happen If We Capture Osama bin Laden?

Spread the word. Share this article on Facebook!

Share

Share

Twitter Facebook Fark Reddit Send to a Friend

Send to a friend!

To email:    Your Name:    Your email:

This morning, Attorney General Eric Holder is facing questioning from the Senate Judiciary Committee. The focus, not surprisingly, has been on Holder's announcement last week that five 9/11 suspects will be tried in civilian court in New York.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) made his argument against the trials, asking Holder how he would instruct the military to handle the hypothetical capture of Osama bin Laden.

Would you read him his Miranda rights? Graham asked. Would you get him a lawyer?

And if you didn't, he went on, would a subsequent trial -- if indeed the trial was held in civilian court and not a military tribunal -- be jeopardized?

Holder didn't have a clear answer, saying "it all depends" on the situation.

It was exactly what Graham wanted.

"Well it does not depend," Graham said. "If you're gonna prosecute anybody in civilian court, our law is clear that the moment custodial interrogation occurs, the defendant, the criminal defendant, is entitled to a lawyer and to be informed of their right to remain silent. The big problem I have is you're criminalizing the war, that if we caught bin Laden tomorrow, we have mixed theories and couldn't turn him over to the CIA, the FBI, military intelligence for an interrogation on the battlefield, because now you're saying he's subject to criminal court in the United States and you're confusing the people fighting this war."

"If we go down that road we're gonna make the country less safe," Graham continued. "I think you've made a fundamental mistake here."

Holder responded that Graham's concerns were a "red herring."

Interestingly, when Holder made his announcement about the trials last week, Graham said in a statement that he would reserve comment on the issue until President Obama returns from his trip to Asia.

"I have been asked by the White House to withhold comment about today's Guantanamo decision until I can meet face-to-face with the President after he returns from Asia," he wrote. "As our Commander in Chief, I will honor his request."

Obama is still traveling, and is in South Korea today.

Join the Conversation!

9 comments

Recommend Recommend (0)

November 18, 2009 12:46 PM   

it all depends on whether we capture him before or after he tries to kidnap someone's daughter

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

November 18, 2009 1:16 PM   

It's taken you 8 years and counting Graham...How about we cross that bridge when we get there, eh?

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

November 18, 2009 1:25 PM   

I wish Holder would have responded to Graham as follows:

"If we capture Osama bin Laden, it will force Republicans, Fox News and the like to come up with a different bogeyman when it comes to scaring people for political purposes."

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

November 18, 2009 1:29 PM   

Lindsey's grasp of the law is pretty rudimentary for a guy who used to be a JAG Lawyer. The failure to read somewhen their Miranda Rights is hardly a get out of jail free card....This is particularly true when you've admitted to organizing a terrorist act that killed 3000+ Americans.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

November 18, 2009 1:56 PM    in reply to Dorn76

They've already found their alternate bogeyman: Obama.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

November 18, 2009 1:48 PM   

Hey, Graham.....you asshats in congress NEVER DECLARED WAR. It's not even clear that you could, legally. OBL is a criminal. If we're lucky enough to finally catch him alive, I want him testifying to put scumbag republicans like you and Bush behind bars for your complicity in leaving him free to promote your neverending "war".

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

November 18, 2009 2:03 PM   

Yawn.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

November 18, 2009 4:07 PM   

Not too many comments here, and I imagine there won't be. This is not good for the Left. The issue of the defendant getting off on a technicality is a concern, but not THE concern. In the legal system, the defendant is entitled to obtain every piece of evidence that the prosecution has. Some would argue that this whole thing is about finally getting to tear into the CIA, which I'm sure most people on this site would agree was a good thing. The Left, particularly the more Marxist bunch, have blamed the CIA for every failed Marxist revolution in every country for the last 60 years (which may or may not be true...who really knows?)

Also, how many precedents may be set during the course of this case? How many tax dollars is this trial going to waste? Military tribunal, guilty terrorist executed, Fin.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

November 18, 2009 4:20 PM    in reply to johnny b

Once again, a conservative confuses what he sees on T.V. shows with reality.

In a federal proseuction, the defendant is entitled to obtain every bit of potentially exculpatory evidence the prosecution has.

I know that's a big word they don't use much on the teevee shows, so let me explain. Exculpatory evidence is evidence proving or tending to prove that the accused did not commit the crime for which he's being tried. He won't get to see, inculpatory evidence, i.e. evidence tending to prove he's guilty, nor will he get to see stuff in their files that's not relevant to the crime charged.

So, yeah, I'm kind of thinking there's not going to be a whole hell of a lot of evidence in the file tending to show that KSM isn't guilty of planning the 9/11 attacks.

Now go change your Depends while the grown-ups deal with the big, bad scary man for you.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

Leave a comment

Your response:

Follow us!

Most Popular

TPM Stories Now Surging on