Since they were not fighting for a sovereign nation, wore no uniform, regularly assault their guards, and do not recognize the Geneva Conventions surely they are not entitled to anything more than an ordinary prisoner of war would be.

Youre assuming they are ALL guilty. If we choose to ignore them (ala Bush) what justice do we provide the innocent?

To suggest some innocents must suffer to protect the majority is a slippery slope. Especially in this country.

Are you looking for it both ways on Hamdan? We cant apply the Geneva Convention because Al Queada is not a signing party to the convention, nor does it recognize the convention and we cant bring him to trial as a common criminal because he is at war with the US govt? Hamdan simply asks the US govt to prove his status – if he cannot be tried under military tribunals conforming to the convention, than he has a right to be tried under the US legal system.

Its pick yer poison time. You cant detain individuals indefinitely (without criticism from within and outside the country). If you choose to not conform to existing legal processes (ie, military tribunal, court system) you face lawsuits. Stop whining, the guy is still behind bars and wont get a release any time soon.

The US govt does not drag their feet on the basis of Hamdan. They should have an open and shut criminal case against him (driver for bin Laden, bin Laden is a wanted criminal). The US is avoiding passing this process on the remaining detainees.

No one sniggers at the idea of this being a “world wide” war. People snigger at the suggestion this war is a world war in the same footing as WW I & II. This world wide war is more similar to the cold war and the war on drugs – wars that have no foreseeable end (i would argue the cold war has not ended) and will not be won on the battlefield. Fighting ideaology with sabers doesnt work.

Hezbollah and Hamas “goaded” Israel into war? I will only yield far enough to state “chicken and egg-isms”.

There is no doubt we are at war. We have been at war and continue to do so – even with supposed allies. These conflicts – military engagements – are the gross repercussions of this continued global conflict.

“If I were an Arab leader, I would never sign an agreement with Israel. It is normal; we have taken their country. It is true God promised it to us, but how could that interest them? Our God is not theirs. There has been Anti – Semitism, the Nazis, Hitler, Auschwitz, but was that their fault ? They see but one thing: we have come and we have stolen their country. Why would they accept that?” David Ben-Gurion or better yet: “We must use terror, assassination, intimidation, land confiscation, and the cutting of all social services to rid the Galilee of its Arab population.”

Terrorists mentally ill? Were American Indians mentally ill? Silesians? Irish? Scots? French? Can it be argued that religous fanatacism is merely mental illness? Or is terrorism (and mental illness) the indicriminant destruction of civilians and non-military objectives for the purpose of displacement and putting fear in the populous?

Yes, the “terrorists” want our destruction, we superior in moral and ethical viewpoint merely want their submission.