Decide For Yourselves (Corrected)

Here are some readings on the decision to try KSM in federal court, both pro and con. Not necessarily the best on either side but a good start.

First the con:

Read Douthat here and here.

David Feige writing at Slate here.

And the pro:

Steven Simon's op-ed in the New York Times here.

And last but certainly not least, Eric Posner, Professor of Law at the University of Chicago School of Law and son of Richard Posner - US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit Judge, writing on Eugene Volokh's blog (The Volokh Conspiracy) here.


*This version corrects the author of the last link. Thank you reader "Mango" for the correction.

Trying KSM In NY Federal Court...

...Is a horrible, terrible, very bad, no good idea.

I'm going to work to compile some good reads regarding this issue. My initial thoughts are that this will indelibly tarnish Obama's national security appeal for 2012 once people are exposed to the incredible circus this whole affair will generate. Plus the notion that there is technically a chance that KSM could go free is a nightmare and an embarassment. Yes, Eric Holder says "failure [to convict] is not an option." But of course that's a ludicrous thing to say. One doesn't have to strain to remember countless surprise jury acquittals.

Stay tuned for a more in-depth analysis of this whole affair and it how it allows us to pierce the underlying ideology driving the Obama admin's counter-terror strategy, if you can call it that.

Big NIAC Story c/o Eli Lake

Read this.

And for contra-Lake look here.

This story has tremendous implications which is why people (like Andrew Sullivan) are fretting to try to put out the fires as it were.

It's a few days old, sorry...

Ft. Hood Tragedy

My thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by this awful tragedy. You can find the text of Obama's speech here.

Another Interesting Read

Malcolm Gladwell has a really interesting (and sad) piece in The New Yorker about football and head injuries.

Don't Miss This Article

Great piece from Ross, per usual.