'Hizbullah Commander' Arrested in Iraq Could Get Military Tribunal in U.S.
The Obama administration is considering a military trial in the United States for a Hizbullah commander now detained in Iraq, U.S. counterterrorism officials said, previewing a potential prosecution strategy that has failed before but may offer a solution to a difficult legal problem for the government.
While the U.S. hasn't made a decision, officials said a tribunal at a U.S. military base may be the best way to deal with Ali Mussa Daqduq, who was captured in Iraq in 2007. He has been linked to the Iranian government and a brazen raid in which four American soldiers were abducted and killed in the Iraqi holy city of Karbala in 2007.
No military commission has been held on U.S. soil since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. President George Bush tried holding a few suspected terrorists at military bases inside the U.S., but each detainee ultimately was released or transferred to civilian courts.
President Barack Obama has said that, because of changes to the military commissions that give prisoners more rights, he supports them as an option in the fight against terrorism.
But a tribunal for Daqduq probably would draw criticism from both liberals, who say a civilian court should be used, and conservatives, who don't want suspected terrorists brought to the U.S. regardless of the venue.
The Bush administration had planned to prosecute Daqduq in an American civilian court. To prepare for that, intelligence officials questioned Daqduq, then had the FBI restart the interrogation from scratch so his answers would be admissible in court.
In a twist of political irony, however, that plan has been effectively scuttled because of opposition from Bush's own Republican Party.
A decision must be made soon. Daqduq is among a few of the remaining U.S. prisoners who, under a 2008 agreement between Washington and Baghdad, must be transferred to Iraqi custody by the end of 2011. U.S. officials fear that if he is turned over to Iraq, he will simply walk free.
25 September 2011, 16:06
09
Do not bring this criminal to the US, let the Iraqis prosecute him in their courts. The US is too just for him and his likes.
25 September 2011, 18:47
101
now usa calls every shia hezbollah and every sunni al qaeda.
25 September 2011, 18:51
09
here you have a new saint !!!
( nawaf mussawi will announce his sainthood )
25 September 2011, 19:05
16
The so called Hezballah has been burying many so called "martyrs" all over the south and the Bekaa since after the 2006 cease fire now we know were and for what cause and country there are getting themselves killed.They should just stick them were they died instead of bringing them desecrate Lebanese soil.
25 September 2011, 20:26
15
Hizbullah's new slogan
"We're the Islamic Revolution in Lebanon exporting terrorists and importing Zionists since 1983" - halos and turbans supplied.
25 September 2011, 21:24
110
This is the commander who replaced Moughneih. The Hezz are international terrorists. If they are Leb resistance why are they killing people in Iraq? Screw this guy.....convict him, hang him, and ask if Nasrallah ordered him to Iraq to kill. We all know the answer. The Hezz are being exposed as terrorists in Lebanon and outside Lebanon.
Do they get free electricity on the backs of Lebanese so they can kill in Iraq and sell drugs in South America?
25 September 2011, 21:51
71
and than they claim they are not from zionist entity.
just read the gabby post
25 September 2011, 22:39
17
This garbage is sent to Iraq to assassinate Christians, thus spreading the fear that Syria might become another Iraq. Foot soldiers of the Syrian regime... Tfeh!
25 September 2011, 23:04
02
The local genius jabalamel tahto is right only people in the Zionist entity are against killing people in Iraq. Anti Zionists like Al-Qaeda and Sadris love killing Iraqi people they get orgasmic at the slight of blood.
26 September 2011, 00:19
02
People, Army , Resistance = Terrorize People of the world, Army of Iran, Resistance of anti-Iranian,anti-syrian and assassinate them Harriri/syrian regime fashion if necessary.
26 September 2011, 03:12
04
Jabalamel why don't you go onto a website better suited for you and your antagonism? Try tayyar.org perhaps? Let's give him a fair trial in Iraq and sentence him to death by firing squad. Let the punishment fit the crime.
26 September 2011, 10:27
01
Don't kill this saint!
Look at his angelic face, at his sweet eyes, at his lovely bear.
Does not he remind you of some lebanese?
We love these saints.
26 September 2011, 13:10
02
What is the resistance doing in Iraq? Justice will be served
26 September 2011, 18:20
00
mowaten is right those are muslim lands just like lebanon is and the invading crusaders should be cleansed of the face of it just like the brave islamic resistance is doing in lassa, haddath, jdeideh, 3youn el seeman, nabatieh, baalbak and on every corner of this holy muslim land. the ayatollah confirmed it the new islamic middle east is being created and the islamic resistance in lebanon is leading the way sending it's brave saintly fighters to secure it now that we've secured it in lebanon.
