"CBS's Smith Sees No Left-Wing Agenda in NYC Terror Trials"
Mike
CBS's Smith Sees No Left-Wing Agenda in NYC Terror Trials
On Thursday’s CBS Early Show, after Rudy Giuliani suggested the Obama
administration was trying to “satisfy left-wing critics” by trying
9/11 terrorists in civilian court, incredulous co-host Harry Smith saw
no such connection: “But Hang on. So it’s – so the idea of them being
tried in open court is a left-wing political agenda?”
Smith began the interview with the former New York City Mayor by
skeptically wondering: “You said yesterday that this was a political
decision. How is it – do you think it’s a political decision?”
Giuliani responded: “Well, it’s a political decision because I believe
that this is being done to satisfy left-wing critics....After all, it
was lawyers in Attorney General Eric Holder’s law firm that challenged
the military tribunal, challenged the habeas corpus, fought these
cases all throughout. So I think this is a political agenda.”
After Smith was taken aback by the charge that liberal politics was
involved in the decision, Giuliani began to explain: “Of course.
Because they could be tried in military courts. As everyone else was
up until now. And it would add-” Smith cut him off: “So as the
attorney general yesterday, ‘we need not cower in the face of this
enemy’” Giuliani shot back: “Please let me finish what I was saying. I
didn’t get a chance to complete my thought.”
Giuliani continued to emphasize the political motivation: “And this is
something that was pushed very, very hard by the left-wing for
President Obama to do and he’s been criticized for delaying in doing
it.” Smith tried to discredit the former Mayor: “And you’ve been
criticized, though, because some people feel it’s a flip-flop on your
part, the ‘Blind Shaikh’ and other conspirators in the first World
Trade Center bombing, were tried here in New York successfully. You
called it a symbol of American justice.” Giuliani pointed out: “The
reality is of course there was no military tribunal in 1993. It would
have been absurd for me to argue for a military tribunal in 1993.”
At the top of the interview, Smith tried to portray a CBS poll showing
a clear majority of people opposed to trying the 9/11 terrorists in
civilian court as evidence that Americans were “deeply divided” over
the issue. He reported: “40% said the trial should be in open federal
court. 54% said they should take place in a closed military court.”
In his final question to Giuliani, Smith asked about the Ft. Hood
shooting: “...a 2007 performance review of Major Nidal Hasan....
[shows] He’s dealing with PTSD patients and he’s talking to them about
Jihad, it sounds like. How is it that in this day and age we’re still
not able to connect the dots?” Giuliani blamed the political
correctness pushed by the left: “I think there’s a fear that you’re
going to be accused of discriminating against people of the Islamic
religion.... It comes with the administration saying you can’t use the
term ‘war on terror’....they’re committing these crimes in the name of
Jihad. That is precisely what Major Hasan was doing. The
administration doesn’t seem to want to recognize that.”
Smith loyally defended the Obama administration: “Except – except the
report was written in 2007 and that was – way precedes the Obama
administration, so I’m not sure there can be a delineation that – that
you’re trying to make.”
Here is a full transcript of the segment:
7:07AM HARRY SMITH: Now to the latest on the 9/11 suspects coming to
New York City. The man who made the controversial decision to put them
on trial in federal court told the Senate Judiciary Committee,
Wednesday, why he’s doing it. CBS News chief judicial correspondent
Bob Orr is in Washington with the story. Good morning, Bob.
BOB ORR: Good morning, Harry. Well, Attorney General Eric Holder is
strongly defending his decision to try confessed 9/11 mastermind
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed in New York, saying the criminal justice system
will win a conviction.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Terror On Trial; A.G. Holder Defends Court
Decision]
ERIC HOLDER: Failure is not an option. This – these are cases that
have to be won.
ORR: But Senate Republicans ripped Holder’s decision, saying public
testimony could compromise sensitive intelligence.
JEFF SESSIONS: I believe this decision is dangerous. I believe it’s
misguided.
ORR: Critics said Holder should have left Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and
his four henchmen in military court, where they had already asked to
be martyred.
HOLDER: I’m not going to base a determination on where these cases
ought to be brought on what a terrorist, what a murderer wants to do.
He will not select the prosecution venue. I will select it. And I
have.
ORR: But 9/11 families who watched the hearing, wearing and holding
pictures of victims, also challenged the decision and quietly
confronted Holder in the hearing room. Geraldine Davie lost a daughter
in the World Trade Center.
GERALDINE DAVIE: My country already let me down once and my daughter
was caught in the cross hairs. Now this is letting me down a second
time? This is unconscionable. Absolutely unconscionable.
ORR: Now, Holder said if somehow the government manages to lose the
case, KSM and the others would not be freed. In fact, they would
continue to be held as enemy combatants. Harry.
SMITH: Bob Orr in Washington this morning, thanks. Americans are
deeply divided on where Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and the other
defendants should be tried. In a recent CBS News poll, 40% said the
trial should be in open federal court. 54% said they should take place
in a closed military court. Former New York City Mayor and federal
prosecutor Rudy Giuliani has called this one of the worst decisions of
the Obama administration. He joins us this morning. Good morning, Mr.
Mayor.
RUDY GIULIANI: Good morning.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Rudy’s Outrage; Former Mayor Bashes Decision On
Terror Trial Venue]
SMITH: You said yesterday that this was a political decision. How is
it – do you think it’s a political decision?
GIULIANI: Well, it’s a political decision because I believe that this
is being done to satisfy left-wing critics who all during the last two
or three years have campaigned against these military tribunals. After
all, it was lawyers in Attorney General Eric Holder’s law firm that
challenged the military tribunal, challenged the habeas corpus, fought
these cases all throughout. So I think this is a political agenda.
Because it makes no sense. There’s no reason for it, it’s
unnecessary-
SMITH: But Hang on. So it’s – so the idea of them being tried in open
court is a left-wing political agenda?
GIULIANI: Of course. Because they could be tried in military courts.
As everyone else was up until now. And it would add-
SMITH: So as the attorney general yesterday-
GIULIANI: And it was – let me finish what I’m saying-
SMITH: -‘we need not cower in the face of this enemy’-
GIULIANI: Please let me finish what I was saying. I didn’t get a
chance to complete my thought.
SMITH: Go ahead.
GIULIANI: The – the reality is that they could be tried in a military
tribunal, there is no reason to try them in a – in a civilian court.
Others are going to be tried in the military tribunal. And the reality
is we’ve never done this before. And this is something that was pushed
very, very hard by the left-wing for President Obama to do and he’s
been criticized for delaying in doing it.
SMITH: And you’ve been criticized, though, because some people feel
it’s a flip-flop on your part, the ‘Blind Shaikh’ and other
conspirators in the first World Trade Center bombing, were tried here
in New York successfully. You called it a symbol of American justice.
GIULIANI: Yeah, correct, the people who accused me of a flip-flop were
on Sunday when I appeared on the talk shows, the Obama administration
did. The reality is of course there was no military tribunal in 1993.
It would have been absurd for me to argue for a military tribunal in
1993. And in 2006, there was no military tribunal because lawyers that
worked for Attorney General Holder and others had gotten them declared
unconstitutional. They’ve since been fixed. Now there’s a military
tribunal. And if there wasn’t a military tribunal, I would be the
first one to say ‘try them in federal court, try them in New York, we
have no other choice and we will show that we can – we can provide
justice.’ But military courts can provide justice just as well without
the same unnecessary risk.
SMITH: Alright, let me ask you this question very quickly. And this is
a little bit off the subject. But about connecting the dots. There was
a report on NPR yesterday that says it’s obtained a 2007 performance
review of Major Nidal Hasan, this doctor who is alleged to have fired
at all of these soldiers down in Ft. Hood. And in this performance
report, it said ‘while he was competent to deliver safe patient care,
he demonstrates a pattern of poor judgment, lack of professionalism,
counseled for inappropriately discussing religious topics with
assigned patients.’ He’s dealing with PTSD patients and he’s talking
to them about Jihad, it sounds like. How is it that in this day and
age we’re still not able to connect the dots?
GIULIANI: Oh, I think – I think there’s a tremendous thrust – and
particularly in these areas – not to do it. Because I think there’s a
fear that you’re going to be accused of discriminating against people
of the Islamic religion. There isn’t an ability to separate these two
things. It comes with the administration saying you can’t use the term
‘war on terror.’ You can’t talk about Islamic extremism terrorism.
You’ve got to call it something else. There’s even a – some kind of a
word category they set up for it, which sounds a little Orwellian. But
the reality is we can make the distinction. There are wonderful people
of the Islamic religion, most of them. Then there are Islamic
terrorists. And they are committing these crimes, not for some
abstract reason, not for some unconnected reason, they’re committing
these crimes in the name of Jihad. That is precisely what Major Hasan
was doing. The administration doesn’t seem to want to recognize that.
And until it does, it’s going to send a signal all through – all
through the bureaucracy, including the Army, ‘you better be careful,
you’ll be an accused of profiling. You’ll be accused of
discriminating.’
SMITH: Except – except the report was written in 2007 and that was –
way precedes the Obama administration, so I’m not sure there can be a
delineation that – that you’re trying to make.
GIULIANI: Oh, but those criticisms – those criticisms were happening
politically way back 2003, 2004.
SMITH: Okay.
GIULIANI: A whole sense of don’t profile, don’t pick on people. That’s
been going on for some quite some time. The Obama administration has
kind of institutionalized it now, but that’s been going on for – for a
number of years.
SMITH: We got to go. Mr. Mayor, thanks for your time this morning.
GIULIANI: Thank you.
Slim
> from www.mediaresearch.org
>
> CBS's Smith Sees No Left-Wing Agenda in NYC Terror Trials
>
> On Thursday�s CBS Early Show, after Rudy Giuliani suggested the Obama
> administration was trying to �satisfy left-wing critics� by trying
> 9/11 terrorists in civilian court, incredulous co-host Harry Smith saw
> no such connection: �But Hang on. So it�s � so the idea of them being
> tried in open court is a left-wing political agenda?�
Cheney terrorized America into the Land of the Gulag, Secret Trials,
International Kidnapping, Detaining People With No Reason, Denying
Detainees Due Process....etc.
All the fucking sick shit the Commies did 50 years ago we routinely do now.
God Bless America.
--
"A nickel isn't worth a dime today." - Y. Berra
Obwon
wrote:
"Oh, he's guilty alright... Now all we need is something
to charge him with!"
Slim
"Wait! Lets get Dumbya to issue and executive order. That way we can
hold him forever without charging him with anything! "