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Poll reveals disturbing support for military tribunals By
James Britsch A recent New York Times/CBS News Poll reveals that attitudes in the United States concerning policies toward terrorist are somewhat disturbing. There is a vast amount of support for President Bush, but many do not realize that their rights may be threatened. According to the New York Times News Service, "Americans are willing to grant the government wide latitude in pursuing suspected terrorists but are wary of some of the Bush administration's recent counterterrorism proposals and worried about the potential impact on civil liberties." The following statistics are quoted directly from the New York Times News Service: --51 percent said it was not a good idea to try foreigners accused of terrorism in secret military proceedings, a possibility under a recent presidential order. -- Eight in 10 Americans said they believed the president should make changes in the criminal justice system in consultation with Congress, not by executive order, as he has done recently. -- Nearly 8 in 10 support the idea of indefinite detention for anyone deemed a threat to national security. -- More than 7 in 10 backed the idea of the government monitoring conversations between suspected terrorists in jail and their lawyers. -- 64 percent said that in wartime, it was a good idea for the president to have the authority to change rights usually guaranteed by the Constitution. -- 65 percent said they were concerned about losing some of their rights. -- 36 percent said they were worried that some of these law enforcement changes might end up applying to them. Blacks were nearly twice as likely as whitesto have that fear. These numbers are useful in gauging public awareness. Unfortunately, they show that the public is not as informed as it should be. The most disturbing statistic is that 51 percent of Americans polled said it was not a good idea to try foreigners accused of terrorism in secret military proceedings. It would be much more comforting if the numbers were a higher -- perhaps at 75 percent. Trying foreigners in secret military proceeding is a violation of human rights. Everyone, not just American citizens, should be given the opportunity for a fair trial. This unjust law gives the government the ability to try a foreign soldier in any way it sees fit. When laws are put aside in favor of military procedure people suffer. In all fairness, soldiers retained in times of war should be tried under a tribunal established by the U.N. council, not by their militaristic captors.
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