Former Attorney General Janet Reno, two former U.S. attorneys appointed by Ronald Reagan and other former justice department officials are going public about their concerns about the Military Commissions Act and George W. Bush's treatment of detainees.
Their concerns are detailed in a friend-of-the-court brief filed in the case of Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri. The Washington Post reports this is the first time Reno has spoken out against the administration. The brief is well worth reading.
(W)e are gravely concerned that indefinite imprisonment of individuals within the United States will become increasingly common -- that the government will choose to avoid criminal prosecutions and the rights associated with them, such as the defendant's right to counsel and the government's obligation to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.In other words, they can lock you up and throw away the key, and you are helpless to defend yourself. This is about as un-American as a law can get.
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