Chris Dodd: “America was attacked on September 11, 2001, by a ruthless enemy of our Nation. It is my strong belief, as I believe it…”

“America was attacked on September 11, 2001, by a ruthless enemy of our Nation. It is my strong belief, as I believe it is the belief of all of us in this Chamber, that those who are responsible for orchestrating this plot and anyone else who seeks to do harm to our country and citizens should be brought to the bar of justice and punished severely. On that I presume there is no debate whatsoever. These are extraordinary times, and we must act in a way that fully safeguards America's national security. That is why I support the concept of military commissions: to protect U.S. intelligence and expedite judicial proceedings vital to military action under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. As we develop such means, we must also ensure our actions are not counterproductive to our overall effort to protect America at all levels. The administration and the Republican leadership on this issue would have the American people believe... that the war on terror requires us to make a choice... between protecting America from terrorism and the choice of upholding the basic tenets upon which our Nation was founded--but not both. This canard, in my view, has been showcased far too often. I fully reject that reasoning.”