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07/16/2008: "Federal court: Bush can indefinitely detain civilians"
A federal court has issued two rulings, the New York Times reports: One favoring President Bush's indefinite detentions of "enemy combatants," and another granting one of said "enemy combatants" the opportunity to challenge his detention in court.
The court effectively ruled that President Bush has the same right to indefinitely detain a civilian on American soil as he does an enemy soldier on a battlefield.
"This decision," countered Jonathan L. Hafetz, counsel for al-Marri, means the president can pick up any person in the country--citizen or legal resident--and lock them up for years without the most basic safeguard in the Constitution, the right to a criminal trial."
[ Now that the president has that power - can we feel secure that no president will abuse it to lock up all manner of dissidents? I can't think why such a power would even be granted unless such measures are its intention. ]
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Federal_court_Bush_can_indefinitely_detain_0715.html