Brennan Op-Ed: Administration disrupts terrorists’ plots, takes fight to them abroad.

[jefferson_dem]

Administration disrupts terrorists’ plots, takes fight to them abroad.
By John Brennan

Politics should never get in the way of national security. But too many in Washington are now misrepresenting the facts to score political points, instead of coming together to keep us safe.

Immediately after the failed Christmas Day attack, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was thoroughly interrogated and provided important information. Senior counterterrorism officials from the White House, the intelligence community and the military were all actively discussing this case before he was Mirandized and supported the decision to charge him in criminal court.

The most important breakthrough occurred after Abdulmutallab was read his rights, which the FBI made standard policy under Michael Mukasey, President Bush's attorney general. The critics who want the FBI to ignore this long-established practice also ignore the lessons we have learned in waging this war: Terrorists such as Jose Padilla and Saleh al-Mari did not cooperate when transferred to military custody, which can harden one's determination to resist cooperation.

It's naive to think that transferring Abdulmutallab to military custody would have caused an outpouring of information. There is little difference between military and civilian custody, other than an interrogator with a uniform. The suspect gets access to a lawyer, and interrogation rules are nearly identical.

Would-be shoe bomber Richard Reid was read his Miranda rights five minutes after being taken off a plane he tried to blow up. The same people who criticize the president today were silent back then.

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http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2010/02/opposing-view-we-need-no-lectures.html?csp=34

[Clio the Leo]

1. And the Yemeni leader of al qaeda....

.... was taken out three weeks later.

A fact NO ONE seems to have noticed.

[FrenchieCat]

2. The Know-it-alls are too busy waving their fingers in everyone's faces....

talking about arrogant!

[Kdillard]

3. Exactly.

[vaberella]

4. But this shows how stupid and weak the Republicans are in regards to our court systems.

Which is embarassing to say the least. Many of them are the ones who created this big hoopla about this terrorists (who we shouldn't take lightly) getting read hs miranda rights but in the end following the law is the best thing we could do. I don't know why Republicans are okay with breaking te law or dumping our own morals.