Obama has stopped the Trial of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the Cole Bomber yet again. This makes the third time! Why are we not surprised? Well first off Obama has made it a bad habit of denying the real victims and thier families justice.
We were to leave for Gitmo on a Friday, when on Wednesday Obamas Aid called me to ask me if we would come to the White House for a meeting with President Obama on Thursday.
I asked him "Why?". Even though I already knew that he was going to drop the charges against Al-Nashiri. The Aid was reluctant to tell me on the phone though. So I just told him "No. I know this meeting for what it is. Obama is going to drop charges." Which he did at that meeting to much fanfare, and the promise that al-Nashiri would be charged in tried in a Federal Court.
It appeared that Obama thought that the Military Tribunal were too draconian, and that the terrorists would not get a fair trial. We thought that was extremely odd, considering that we had attended the trial of the Al-Qaeda Propagandist just two months before at Gitmo. We saw how professional all the military personnel conducted themselves at all times. In my previous profession I was in civilian court many times. From what I saw of the Military court it was much more professional in all aspects than the civilian courts.
But I think its a safe assumption to say now that we all know now liberal Obama is in his beliefs. So it only makes sense that Obama would rather have the terrorists tried in a civilian court. But then after more months of waiting, Obama changed his mind again!
Now it was back to the Military Tribunals, but with one major caveat. The Tribunals would be reformed! To better serve the needs of the terrorists. So after more months of waiting, Obama announced that the New and Improved Military Tribunals were ready. I thought that well even thought the Tribunals are "terrorists friendly" at least we will get a trial after 9 long years! My wife and I hoped that the New Tribunals were not as terrorist friendly as they were in Yemen. Were all the Cole bombers were either pardoned, given reduced sentences, and or allowed to escape and roam free.
But Obama has changed his mind again! And we knew it was coming. The reason is pure political now. No matter how he and his administration tries to spin it. If the terrorists were tried in Obama's new tribunals there is a very good chance that they would be given extremely light sentences, and or acquitted. And that would be very bad news for Obama and the democrats in the present political environment.
So justice plays second fiddle to politics, again. And that's wrong, plain wrong. The Cole tragedy is riddle with politics, and how they came first, and the victims and their families second. Too many instances to list here.
So the 10th Anniversary of the attack on an American ship of war will soon be here, and gone. And Clinton's words that he spoke at the ceremony less than a week after the attack on the USS Cole will ring hollow. He spoke how American would track down the terrorists who had committed the attack and bring them to justice. We did not believe him anyway, but it sure sounded tough.
And in the end, the only terrorists killed who were involved with the attack, were taken out on Bush's watch. And the only one to stand trial was on Bush's watch as well. So my wife and I owe President Bush a Thank-you. And we mean it too. I guess one president out of three who took some action ain't to bad.
But President Obama should be ashamed of himself for the way he has played with the emotions of the victims families. I know we are ashamed of him.
Gary G. Swenchonis, Sr and Deborah Swenchonis
"Even though many of your leaders have forgotten the justice that you and your mates deserve so much, we have not." Remember the Cole!
