Political Quotes

“That is correct. Mr. McCAIN. I would argue especially in the United States since that poses the greatest threat. However, with our assumption that that person should be held under military custody, we still give a very wide waiver in case there are extenuating circumstances. In other words, we are saying that we assume an al-Qaida operative, or a suspected al-Qaida operative, is an enemy combatant wherever they are on Earth and, therefore, they should be under military custody unless there is some reason that the President determines otherwise. The counterargument we are hearing, in summary, is that because that al-Qaida operative is apprehended in the United States, therefore, they should fall under civil authority, thereby negating the assumption that he is an enemy combatant; he is a common criminal. This is a very important principle in this discussion we are having. How do you treat a suspected al-Qaida terrorist who wants to, in the case of the Underwear Bomber, blow up a plane with 100 some-odd passengers on it? Shouldn't that person be treated as an enemy combatant and, therefore, subject to all of the rules of military people who are under the supervision of the military? Isn't that what we are debating here? The ACLU and the left, with all due respect, feel that person should be--first of all, that al-Qaida operatives should be treated under our criminal system rather than treated as an enemy combatant who wants to do great harm to the United States of America.…”