Boston Bomber and Being Charged as an "Enemy Combatant" Discussion (McCain, legal)

[Maabus1999]

There is a lot of discussion in D.C. and by TV "experts" of possibly charging the Boston bomber as an enemy combatant. What are your opinions on this discussion?

My personal take: If they do charge him as an enemy combatant, being he is a US Citizen, it would do far more damage to our country then all the damage he did as a lunatic bomber.

He should be charged, prosecuted, and if found guilty, punished like any other American. We did it with McVeigh, we can do it again. The NDAA is sketchy enough. This current political discussion is borderline disastrous IMHO.

[HappyTexan]

They're probably combing through the words of the Patriot Act hoping they can use something.

He's a citizen..charge him as such. There's more then enough evidence.
Yet Hasan, embedded IN the military, gets away with "workplace violence".

[shooting4life]

He should go through the regular justice system.

[TrapperJohn]

Agreed. Then tie him to a bumper and drag him 26 miles down the marathon route. Stick a grenade in his pocket at the end.

[Oleg Bach]

The Aurora Colorado killer should be tried as an enemy combatant also if that is the case. To toss this term "enemy combatant" around is a statement- That America has in informal declaration of war on every last nation on earth - even it's own!

[Velvet Jones]

Originally Posted by Maabus1999

There is a lot of discussion in D.C. and by TV "experts" of possibly charging the Boston bomber as an enemy combatant. What are your opinions on this discussion?

My personal take: If they do charge him as an enemy combatant, being he is a US Citizen, it would do far more damage to our country then all the damage he did as a lunatic bomber.

He should be charged, prosecuted, and if found guilty, punished like any other American. We did it with McVeigh, we can do it again. The NDAA is sketchy enough. This current political discussion is borderline disastrous IMHO.

The DOJ can claim anything they want but this wouldn't even pass the whiff test and would get laughed out of court. Despite the beliefs of people like Eric Holder and Alberto Gonzales, their opinions are just that, opinions. They have no legal weight at all in the eyes of the courts.

[HappyTexan]

4 Republicans are more than willing to turn a US citizen into an "enemy combatant" so they can fight the War on Terror.

These 4 are in DC, sitting at their lofty desks.
I do not think we need to change his status from citizen to enemy combatant for justice to prevail.

Here are the 4 Republicans:
Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) and Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.)

GOP lawmakers want Boston bombing suspect treated as ‘enemy combatant’

[mancat100]

He's a US citizen. He has rights. Period.

[EdwardA]

I don't know what the criteria is to be charged as enemy combatants but it appears likely these guys were lone wolves. The Feds should be able to get a conviction and execute him quickly enough without opening a hornet's nest needlessly.

[Jaggy001]

Keep it simple. Charge him with 1st degree homicide.