More concerned with his rights than ours

Sulaiman Abu Ghaith was hit with the charges in an indictment unsealed by the Justice Department late Thursday. The terror suspect's capture and prosecution in federal court -- all of which was first revealed to the public Thursday -- caught lawmakers by surprise.
Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham and Kelly Ayotte, said Thursday the Obama administration's decision to bring Abu Ghaith to court in New York City is wrong, "sneaky" and against the will of Congress. While foes of using Guantanamo to hold suspects say detainees there are afforded fewer legal rights, supporters say they can yield more information while held in the military facility.

Graham says Abu Ghaith is clearly an enemy combatant and should have been sent straight to the Guantanamo Bay detainee facility for extended questioning.
"The Obama administration’s lack of a war-time detention policy for foreign members of al Qaeda, as well as its refusal to detain and interrogate these individuals at Guantanamo, makes our nation less safe," Graham and Ayotte said in a joint written statement. “We are at war with Al Qaeda and its affiliated groups, and America’s detention policy must reflect that reality."
On Friday, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell also questioned whether the U.S. was losing valuable intelligence by going through the civilian court system.
"From public reports it is clear that Abu Ghaith possesses valuable knowledge of al Qaeda's activities within Iran. Abu Ghaith has sworn to kill Americans, and he likely possesses information that could prevent harm to America and its allies. He is an enemy combatant and should be held in military custody," he said.
But the White House argues that the civilian courts are a more effective avenue for justice.
"Article 3 courts have shown that they are, in many ways, a more efficient way for us to deliver justice to those who seek to harm the United States of America and that is the consensus view of the president's national security team and of agencies all across the federal government -- that this is the best way to handle bringing Abu Ghaith to justice," Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest

The case reflects the Obama administration priority of prosecuting terror suspects in U.S. federal courts instead of holding them at Guantanamo Bay, which the administration has so far been unable to close.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/08/lawmaker-bin-laden-spokesman-caught-in-jordan/#ixzz2N2qNvFgR