Coffman Slams Administration Over Detainee Transfer

Press Release

Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Aurora) issued the following statement after it was announced that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-confessed mastermind of the September 11th terrorist attacks, would be transported to New York City for a civilian trial. Coffman stressed that President Obama's decision will undermine the validity of the recently revived military commissions process which was designed to try captured terrorists. The complete statement follows:

"I believe that acts of terrorism against the citizens of the United States are acts of war. Misguidedly, the President believes that terrorist attacks against the United States are not acts of war, but law enforcement matters that should be handled by our criminal court system just like any other criminal justice problem."

"This is the same administration that defines terrorist attacks "manmade disasters" and the global war on terror is now called an "overseas contingency operation." The very words the current Administration uses to define this war and terrorist acts illustrates they live in denial of the fact that there are extremists out there that would stop at nothing to destroy the United States and disrupt the American way of life."

"The September 11th attack was unquestionably an act of war. Those behind it should be tried by military tribunals and not by civilian criminal courts designed to try American citizens for the enforcement of our domestic laws. These terrorists are war criminals given their indiscriminate targeting of civilians. Whether they are found innocent or guilty of war crimes does not change the fact that we are still a nation at war and that they must be detained until this war is won."

"History shows that weakness invites aggression and to our nation's detriment this Administration places social acceptance by the international community above our own security interests. This will set a dangerous precedent that terrorists can undergo a trial affording the same protections as an American citizen with the possibility that a Federal judge might simply just let them go."

"Additionally, the civilian trial will quickly become a forum for attacks on our nation's intelligence and defense activities. Our defense, and our defenders, will be maligned and abused through courtroom tactics."

Source