Bush Lays Down Political/Legal Gauntlet On 9/11 Conspirators

Demands Clarification (Repudiation) of Supreme Court Ruling; Demands Congress List Specific Acts Illegal During Interrogations Of Terrorists

Drudge Baffled

A summary from Allah and coming video.

Was:Update On Bush Speech: 9/11 Families Will Be In Attendance; WH Requests Networks Carry It Live

This seems big.

But I still think it might just be an announcement of granting POW status to 9/11 bigs, and a challenge to Congress to change the law. ABCNews seems to suspect the same thing.

Is there some connection between the Pakistan peace deal and the White House's "big news"?

I'm dreaming of something right now that makes superficial sense but I think it's too pie-in-the-sky to even speculate about. You can probably guess. I'm too embarrassed to even admit where my mind is drifting.

Via Allah, who I'm sure will have the video faster than anyone else.

Excuse me while I turn on the TV.

Here it comes... He's winding up to justify giving Khalid Sheikh Mohammad POW status.

He's setting it up to claim he needed to deny him such status before, but now it can be granted.

Horrible.

No... Now he seems ready to throw down the legislative/political gauntlet.

He's now saying that our security depends on getting information from terrorists.

Although it could go either way. He mentions the need for "prosecuting" terrorists, which is hard to do with information derived from coerced interrogations.

He's definitely laying down the gauntlet. Not really huge news, but important.

A forceful connect-the-dots of terrorist plots broken up thanks to CIA detentions/coercive interrogations... Including a pushback against media claims that a terrorist called Zubediah (sp?) was merely a nutjob who knew nothing at all.

It's definitely an important political speech.

The Democrats will either have to ratify this program or justify granting full Bill of Rights protections to foreign illegal combatant terrorists.

I have to say I'm bewildered this speech wasn't given before.

Wants Congress To Repudiate Supreme Court Decision On Granting Geneva Protections For Terrorists: Congress must list the "specific, recognizable offenses" that will invoke a War Crimes prosecution against interrogators.

Nice. Make Congress specifically say what is illegal -- and, by their omission, what is legal.

Congress dare not make belly-slapping illegal.

Put up or shut up.

posted by Ace at 01:36 PM

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