The Jose Padilla Case: Screenplay by Mel Brooks

By Mike Whitney
Jun. 26, 2007

I have followed the case of Jose Padilla since he was arrested in March 2002 at Chicago ’s O’Hare Airport. It’s such a screwball case that it’s hard to take seriously. The storyline reads more like a Mel Brooks screenplay than a serious prosecution of a terrorist suspect. But, then, Bush was never serious about terrorism anyway—not really. It’s just a smokescreen to hoodwink the public. Remove the color-coded scare tactics from Bush’s rhetoric, and there’s nothing left but a delusional sociopath pitching tax cuts for the GOP.

Padilla never did anything wrong. He’s just a victim of circumstance---an unwitting lab-rat in Bush’s grand strategy to repeal the constitution. In 5 years the government hasn’t come up with a shred of evidence that connects him to ANY CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. Nothing! The charges are completely bogus--- even the government attorneys know it. That’s why they coerced the judge into letting them “play parts of an old television interview with Osama bin Laden” in court last week. It’s just another sign of their complete desperation.

My God, is that the best the “multi-million dollar” prosecution can come up with after 5 years--- “grainy old bin Laden tapes?

Pathetic!

The judge never should have allowed such prejudicial gibberish to be entered into the record. Padilla’s connection to al Qaida is purely speculative. It’s probably just more Bush bunkum.

Last week the government’s case began to unravel when FBI Special agent James T. Kavanaugh revealed that “Padilla was never overheard using purported 'code words' for violent jihad in intercepted telephone conversations”.

Really? So that was a lie, too!

Kavanaugh proved that the prosecution’s claims were pure rubbish. Padilla wasn’t communicating in a secret terrorist lingo with al Qaeda so he could participate in “violent jihad abroad”. In fact he wasn’t doing anything illegal at all. He’s just a victim of government overreach caught in Bush’s cynical plan to rescind habeas corpus. The Bush team is still clinging to their madcap theory that the president is above the law and can toss anyone he chooses in prison without charges. So far, they haven’t proven Padilla is guilty of anything.

By the way, the very day the Padilla was arrested as a “dirty bomber”; FBI Special Agent Colleen Rowley was giving testimony before Congress about how FBI headquarters had “thwarted” her investigation into terror suspect, Zacharias Moussaoui, prior to 9-11. The implication is that someone in the White House may have ordered the FBI to stop investigating Saudis who were operating in America before the attack on the Twin Towers . That means that someone in the Bush administration may have created a diversion (“dirty bomber”) to draw attention away from Rowley’s damning testimony.

Karl Rove, perhaps?

In any event, the prosecution eventually dropped the dirty bomber charges altogether. 2 years later they were exposed as a fraud.

The government is now saying that “Padilla left Florida in September 1998 for Egypt to begin what they say was a journey to fight in Islamic holy war”.

No proof.

“His alleged jihad recruiter was Adham Hassoun, a former computer programmer who is on trial with Padilla and Kifah Jayyousi on charges of supporting terrorist groups around the world.”

No proof.

No proof. No proof. No proof. Same old story for 5 years while an innocent man is locked away in a 5’ by 7’ windowless cell and driven mad with torture.

The Supreme Court had the opportunity to end this farce a year ago when they were asked by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals to determine whether the President had the right to imprison an American citizen indefinitely as an “enemy combatant”. But the High Court—loaded with far-right extremists and Bush loyalists---decided to punt. They have no intention of limiting the power of the executive by honoring the constitution. They were appointed to defend the kingly powers of the president, not to protect the rights of citizens.

And so, Padilla will remain in jail until Bush leaves office. The prosecution will drag the case out for another year or so while the judge patiently plays along.

Eventually, Padilla will be released. He will be given a small stipend for his trouble and a pat on the back. The government will grudgingly admit that it made a mistake and assure the public that it was all done in the interest of national security. “We were just trying to keep you safe”.

Everyone will sing the praises of the state and marvel at democracy’s self correcting machinery.

When the fanfare dies down, Padilla will go home to his family where he will spend the rest of his days holed up in his room, staring blankly at the ceiling and shuddering in fear---another unlucky victim of the Bush's war on terror.













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