We hit the jackpot with our (relatively) new FBI correspondent, Dina Temple-Raston. Not only is she an excellent reporter, but she's a crackerjack writer. Her new book, The Jihad Next Door: The Lackawanna Six And Rough Justice in the Age of Terror, is so riveting, it's like reading a novel. We'll talk about it with her today -- and you can comment here.
1:34 PM ET | 09-10-2007 | permalink
Related to this, I remember during the violence in Kosovo, a number of Americans of Albanian ethnic background volunteered to go over and fight for the Kosovar Albanian cause. Prior to 9-11, is there any law about American citizens participating internationally in paramilitary organizations?
What is a terrorist? When does someone take the step from being someone making bad decisions to becoming a terrorist? These are crucial questions. In America, citizens are innocent until proven guilty. All citizens should be treated equally under the law, and afforded the protection of our government and should be subject to our laws and our criminal systems according to their crimes.
It is crucial for us to protect everyone's rights to explore ideas, even ideas with which we disagree, even ideas that are the opposite of our beliefs. Until individuals commit crimes, they are citizens of the United States deserving of our protection.
We must preserve opportunities to convince others that our way is correct without the use of force. Before individuals have committed crimes against us, it is our responsibility to give them opportunities to change their minds, to treat them with respect and even mercy in order to change their minds from violence to legitimate political processes.
At my age (71) I've heard all the worries about withdrawing from a war zone before. Does anyone remember the domino theory of the Vietnam era? It seems that theory bit the dust with the passage of time. Why not pull out of Iraq and let the dust settle where it will?
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