Senate Proceeding on Nov 5th, 2009 :: 5:22:45 to 5:33:05
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5:22:30 to 5:22:50( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: have not gotten the mr. president, i yield the floor. a senato mr. president? the presiding officer: junior senator from connecticut is recognized. mr. lieberman: i thank the chair. thank you for mentioning my juniority, it reminds me of how young i am at least here in the

5:22:45 to 5:33:05( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Joseph Lieberman

5:22:51 to 5:23:11( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: senate. on behalf of amendment 2669 that has been introduced by senator graham, senator webb, senator mccain, and myself as co-sponsors. it is a pending amendment. mr. president.

5:23:12 to 5:23:31( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: the purpose of this amendment is really quite straightforward. it would prevent the use of any funds made available to the department of justice by this appropriations bill from being used to prosecute any individual

5:23:38 to 5:23:59( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: su 9/11/2001 attacks in an article 3 court. an article 3 court is a regular federal court made pursuant to article 3 of our constitution. now, why would we feel we need to do such a thing?

5:24:00 to 5:24:20( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: it is because the current otocol gover governing the disposition of cases reervel to prosecution of detainees currently held at guantanamo bay, cuba, the current protocol of the united states department of justice governing the

5:24:21 to 5:24:41( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: referral of these detainees from guantanamo bay says as follows: in number two factors for determination of prosecution. and i quote -- "there is a presumption that where feasible referred cases will be prosecuted in an article 3 court

5:24:42 to 5:25:02( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: in keeping with traditional principles of federal prosecution." end of quote. mr. president, it is because we, who are sponsoring this amendment, think that there is a fundamental error of

5:25:03 to 5:25:24( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: in fact, in its way an act of injustice that these individuals individuals, suspected terrorists being held at guantanamo bay, cuba, suspected in this case, according to our amendment, of having been involved in the attacks of 9/11

5:25:25 to 5:25:46( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: on the united states which resulted in the deaths of almost 3,000 people, that these individuals would be tried in a regular united states federal court as if they were accused of -- of violating our criminal laws.

5:25:47 to 5:26:07( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: they are uncommon criminals. they are suspected of being war criminals. and, as such, they should not be brought to prosecution in a traditional federal court along with other accused criminals, citizens of the united states

5:26:08 to 5:26:29( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: who have their right to all the protections of our constitution in the federal courts of the united states. these are war criminals who are not entitled to all of those protections of our constitution

5:26:30 to 5:26:51( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: and whose prosecution should not be confused as a normal criminal law prosecution. they are warriminals. they ought to be tried according to -- to all prevail for war criminals, including, of course, the geneva convention.

5:26:52 to 5:27:12( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: this congress has established a tradition, and improved in recent times, a tradition of a system of military commissions, of congress, signed into law by the president, which provides standards of due process and

5:27:13 to 5:27:35( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: fairness in the trial of suspected war criminals, not just in compliance with the geneva convention, but -- and the supreme court of the united states, but well above what -- what the standards that have been required by both the supreme court of the united states and the geneva

5:27:36 to 5:27:56( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: convention. those who were committing the heinous cowardly acts of intentionally targeting unsuspecting, defenseless part of a larger declared war of

5:27:57 to 5:28:17( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: islamist extremists against, frankly, anybody who's not like them. the most numerous victims of thesis lambist terrorists around the world -- islamists terrorists around the world are muslims who don't agree with them in their extremism. but they've killed many people of other religions. when they struck us in the

5:28:18 to 5:28:39( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: united states on 9/11, they killed an extraordinarily classic american disvers of people. the only reason they were targeted is the united states of america. so the terrorists -- these people who are suspected of being terrorists participating

5:28:40 to 5:29:00( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: in and aiding the attacks of 9/11 are war criminals, not common criminals, and they should therefore, be trie military commission system which goes -- the go back as long as the revolutionary war in the united states of america. it's proud and fair tradition much we have upgrade

5:29:01 to 5:29:23( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: strengthened all the due process and legal protections after 9/11. so why we would take these war criminals -- suspected war criminals an bring them into the criminal courts of the united states and give them the rights of the constitution, i don't understand. mr. president, as i think it is today,

5:29:24 to 5:29:46( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: november 5th, the letter is dated, members -- every member of the united states senate received a letter from quite a large number of families of victims of 9/11. 140-plus at the last writing. i just want to read briefly from the letter. the letter is in support of the

5:29:47 to 5:30:08( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: amendment that senators graham, webb, mccain and i have introduced." the american people were rightly outraged by this act of war of september 11. whether the cause was retribution or recognize mission of our common humanity, the words never forget were invoked in tearful and angry rectitude, defiantly written in the dust of

5:30:09 to 5:30:31( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: ground zero, our humbly penned on make-shift memorials erected all across this land. the country was united determination that these acts should not go unmarked and unpunished. eight long years have passed since that dark and ." and rember, mr. president, this is written by people who

5:30:32 to 5:30:52( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: have lost dear ones on 9/11. "sadly, some have forgotten the promises we made to those whose lives were taken in such a cruel and vicious manner." we have not forgotten. we are the husbands and wives and mothers and fathers, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers and other family members of the

5:30:53 to 5:31:13( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: victims of these depraved and barbaric attacks, and we feel a profound obligation to ensure that justice is done on their behalf. it is, they incomprehensible to us that members of the united states congress would propose that the

5:31:14 to 5:31:34( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: same men who today refer to the murder of our loved ones as a blessed day a united states capitol for the same kind of destruction that was wrought in new york, virginia, and pennsylvania should be the beneficiaries of a social compact of which they are not a part.

5:31:35 to 5:31:57( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: do not recognize, and which they seek to destroy the united states constitution." so they say -- "we adamantly op which would provide them with the very rights that may make i

5:31:58 to 5:32:19( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: possible for them to escape the justice which they so richly deserve. we believe that military commissions are the appropriate legal forum for the individuals who mr. president, i know there will be further debate on

5:32:20 to 5:32:40( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: ask my colleagues to join in this. we're doing it not just because of therotocol the beginning, but because of stories that are emanating that perhaps as early as next week, the department of justice will announce that they are going to

5:32:41 to 5:33:01( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: bring khalid sheikh muhammad, the man who planned the 9/11 attacks, who is in our custody to trial in a federal court. this man is, from all that i know, one of the devils of history, an evil man who terrible destruction and suffering on our country, and he ought to be given due process

5:33:02 to 5:33:05( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: but he ought to be given due process in a forum reserved for