S3930 - Detainee bill

[MaggieL]

Originally Posted by headsplice

The fact is that we haven't declared war on anyone that we're keeping as "unlawful enemy combatants," so Maggie is, under the letter of the law, halfway correct.

In fact, since they're not a a nation, it's not possible to declare war on them, as such. (see my previous comments on other threads referring to the jihadi shell game).

To make matters worse, the people in question have declared war on us. (See various fatwas, etc.) This is "asymmetrical warfare" in more ways than one. . These enemies don't *need* to be a nation to wage war, and it is to their advantage not to be. They get plenty of under-the-table funding and weapons from nations who are pleased to have them as surrogates (with not-terribly-plausible denyability).

Given the level and kinds of force these enemies are able and willing to muster, I personally don't think treating this as a criminal rather than a military matter (as the Democrats and other liberals seem inclined to do) is either appropriate or wise.