[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Mail] [Sign-in] [Setup] [Help] [Register]
|
Status: Not Logged In; Sign In
United States News Title: USS Cole attack survivors angry at Obama The 10th anniversary of the bombing of the USS Cole on Tuesday conjured up painful memories for the families of the 17 Navy sailors who died in the terrorist attack, but it also revealed simmering anger at the Obama administration over the lack of concrete progress in bringing an alleged perpetrator to justice. In February 2009, less than three weeks after his inauguration, President Barack Obama held an emotional meeting with family members of victims of the Cole bombing and the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Families said the new president promised swift action yet pleaded for their patience so his aides and Congress could overhaul the military commission system – which federal courts twice invalidated during the Bush administration. Yet 20 months later, there are few signs the case against Saudi-born Abd Al-Rahim Al-Nashiri – the alleged mastermind of the Cole bombing who was captured in 2003 – has moved forward. Last November, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the case would be sent for trial to a newly constituted military commission. Nearly a year has passed since then, with no new charges against Al-Nashiri and no official word when – or if – any might be forthcoming. “Nothing has moved. There has been talk about the military commission…nothing appears to be happening because of politics, not because there are legal considerations holding it up within the court system,” said Kirk Lippold, who was commander of the Cole when suicide bombers in an explosive-laden boat struck it during a refueling stop in Yemen. “That frustrates people more than anything else.” “At the time, we felt the president was being real positive about it,” John Clodfelter, who attended last February’s White House meeting, told POLITICO Tuesday. His son, Kenneth, 21, was among the sailors killed in the Cole attack a decade ago. “The president told us he wanted to figure out what was supposed to be done versus what was actually being done.” In the months since, the elder Clodfelter’s good feeling toward Obama and his team has evaporated. “I don’t know what the problem is,” said Clodfelter, who complained he has had difficulty getting the White House or Justice Department to update him on the case. “Things have not happened the way they gave the impression they’d happen…They were supposedly going to have an open door policy. I don’t know if that was a lot of B.S. or what.” During a news briefing Tuesday, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said various government agencies are still discussing Al-Nashiri’s case. “There's an inter-agency process that is being worked through, and certainly our hope is, now that we have a reformed commission system, that it's a process that can start soon,” Gibbs said. Gibbs said he couldn’t offer any details on when the prosecution might begin, but the White House remains confident Al-Nashiri will stand trial. “Obviously, our viewpoint is that somebody who did harm to American servicemen 10 years ago will be and should be brought to justice. That was our goal in reforming the military commission system, and I believe in this case we will see justice done,” Gibbs said. Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1010/43502.html#ixzz12GZ4w1XH
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
#1. To: WhiteSands (#0)
Hell, so is everybody else with a brain.
Obama's first all-by-his-lonesome budget, btw, calls for a $1.17 trillion deficit.
|
|
[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Mail] [Sign-in] [Setup] [Help] [Register]
|