Clicca sul grafico per ingrandirlo. Treat terror suspects as criminals and try them in court
By Andrea Lorenzo Capussela
Published: September 26 2006
Sir,In your interview with John Bellinger, legal adviser to the US secretary of state, Mr Bellinger challenges Europeans to offer constructive suggestions for dealing with terrorist suspects ("US needs 'advice not criticism' on terror suspects", September 21).
My suggestion is simple: treat them as criminals, not as "unlawful enemy combatants", and try them in open civilian courts, where their dignity and human rights are respected.
Before dismissing this solution as not very pragmatic, consider an example of the other approach: the Egyptian imam of a Milan mosque had been under investigation for some time when he was captured in a Milan street by CIA agents and flown to Cairo; the public prosecutors who were conducting the investigation discovered the kidnapping and have issued arrest warrants against the CIA agents and some Italian spies who helped them.
The result was disastrous: the Milan investigation into his alleged terrorist circle had to stop; several security agents have been led to commit serious crimes; and their prosecution is bound to create frictions between the two states and their law enforcement bodies, which should instead be co-operating closely.
Treating terrorists as criminals should be the obvious solution in our democracies and may be very effective: the perpetrators of the Madrid massacre have all been found guilty and sent to jail by civilian courts, applying the common rules of evidence.
Those who describe this approach as "fighting with a hand tied behind one's back" forget that this is precisely what the rule of law means and what distinguishes liberal states from police states; which, in any event, have not been famously effective against terrorists.
Alas, the most common objection to this solution is also the less amenable to rational debate: the war on terror, it is said, requires unfettered powers.
Sadly, so much emotional and political capital has been piled above those three words that many no longer see that "war on terror" is only a metaphor, and rather imprecise at that.
Andrea Lorenzo Capussela,
Dragodan, Prishtina
Copyright: The Financial Times Limited 2006
mentre gli Americani si erano assicurati mano libera nel sud, dove ritenevano si trovasse Bin Laden e dove comunque si trovano le roccaforti dei Taliban."Le forze della Nato hanno preso [...] il controllo della sicurezza nel turbolento sud dell'Afghanistan, imbarcandosi in una delle maggiori operazioni di terra della sua storia. [...] Finora la Nato era incaricata della sicurezza nella capitale Kabul e del più sicuro nord e ovest del Paese",
"hanno promesso stamani di continuare gli attacchi contro le forze Nato, dicendo che la rafforzata presenza di truppe straniere fornirà loro "nuovi e facili obiettivi". Centinaia di nostri attentatori suicidi stanno aspettando le forze della Nato... continueremo la nostra offensiva finché le truppe straniere non lasceranno il Paese", ha detto a Reuters il mullah Dadullah, il comandante talebano nel sud."
"Mi auguro che i responsabili politici della sinistra non cedano alla soggezione, o alla coda di paglia, che li induce troppo spesso a dire e fare le cose quasi vergognandosene e scusandosene. Per qualunque argomento: l'Afghanistan o l'indulto o i taxi. Che dicano o facciano solo quello che credono giusto, e ne vadano fieri. E se sono costretti a compromessi in nome di un bene maggiore, e anche solo di un male minore, lo dicano senz'altro, e mettano con le spalle al muro chi si vanta illeso da ogni compromesso, in totale irresponsabilità." (da: http://www.repubblica.it/2006/07/sezioni/politica/indulto3/sofri-indulto-perdono/sofri-indulto-perdono.html ).
| Co-Chairman Statement | Dichiarazione dei co-presidenti |
Representatives of Italy and the United States, the United Nations, Canada, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Jordan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the European Union (High Representative, Finnish Presidency, Commission), and the World Bank met today in Rome along with representatives of Lebanon. | Se semo riuniti fra 14 amici, c’e’ toccato ‘nvita’ pure a quei rompipalle delle NU, pe’ vede da risolve ‘na questione fra l’amici nostri de ‘sraele e certi ‘nfami Libbanesi. |
Building on the September 19, 2005 ministerial-level Lebanon Core Group meeting in New York, the Lebanon Core Group and other countries concerned for the fate of Lebanon met today to express the international community's deep concern about the situation in Lebanon and the violence in the Middle East, to enjoin urgent and substantial humanitarian assistance, and to discuss concrete steps that would allow a free, independent and democratic Lebanon to exercise effective control over all of its territory. | Era da Settembre dell’anno scorso che stavamo tutti a questiona’, ma ‘o sapevamo gia’ ch’annava a fini’ male. |
The Lebanon Core Group and the other participants to the Rome Conference are committed to helping the Lebanese government to address the political, economic and security challenges that it faces. | Stavorta ai Libbanesi j’avemo detto a brutto muso che ce stanno certe “regole” che devono vede da rispetta’. |
The participants pledged their united determination to work in partnership with the international community to provide immediate humanitarian relief to the people of Lebanon, expressing deep concern for civilian casualties and suffering, the destruction of civil infrastructures and the rising number of internally displaced people. | E si nun le rispettano, e quarcheduno je lo fa presente, noi che c'entramo? |
Calling Israel to exercise its utmost restraint, they welcomed Israel's announcement of humanitarian corridors to Lebanon, including for humanitarian flights into Beirut International Airport, and within Lebanon that can allow for the rapid delivery of relief aid, and called for their immediate operation. | Visto che se stanno a mena’ de brutto, pensavamo de anna’ a da’ un’occhiata, cosi’ giusto pe’ esse de aiuto ‘n caso de necessita’. |
| The Rome Conference participants expressed their determination to work immediately to reach with the utmost urgency a cease-fire that put an end to the current violence and hostilities. That cease-fire must be lasting, permanent and sustainable. | A ‘sraele je l’avemo gia’ detto de nun fa er fregnone e de daje ‘n po’ de respiro. |
| The Rome Conference affirmed that the fundamental condition for lasting security in Lebanon is the Government's full ability to exercise its authority over all its territory. | Ma ‘sraele c’ha detto chiaro e tondo che nun se ferma finche’ i libbanesi nun s’accasciano. |
| The participants noted that a framework of international decisions, including the G-8 statement of July 16, United Nations Security Council Resolutions 425, 1559 and 1680, the Lebanese national framework embodied in the Taif Accords, and the 1949 Armistice Agreement represent the principles that govern the international community's efforts and responsibilities to help support the Government and people of Lebanon. | A quer punto se spera che i libbanesi hanno capito l’antifona e se gestiscono mejo er quartierino loro. |
| The participants called for the full implementation of these relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and the Taif Accords, which provide for the deployment of Lebanese Armed Forces to all parts of the country and the disarming of all militias. | Perche’ j’era gia’ stato detto de fa ‘e pulizzie a casa loro. |
| An International Force in Lebanon should urgently be authorized under a UN mandate to support the Lebanese Armed Forces in providing a secure environment. The Rome Conference pledged its support for Lebanon's revival and reconstruction. | A ‘sto punto e’ ora che ‘a smettono de fa’ orecchie da mercante: finisce che annamo noi a fa’ a ronda ar quartierino d’i Libbanesi. |
The participants today agreed to the convening of an international donor conference to assist with the revival of Lebanon's economy and called for the provision of reconstruction assistance to the Lebanese Government, with special emphasis on the southern part of the country. | E poi, se proprio ce vole, pagamo pure 'na serva pe' fa' 'e pulizie, soprattutto 'ndove ce sta piu' zella. |
| In addition, the need for a meeting of partner countries to discuss a joint approach to security assistance for the Lebanese Armed Forces and security services was widely supported. | Avemo pure deciso che se riunimo n’antra vorta pe’ stabili’ chi fa cosa, incluso chi da du’ pizze ai Libbanesi ‘n caso facessero ‘i ‘nfami n’antra vorta. |
Participants agreed that any lasting solution to Middle East tensions must be regional. They expressed their full commitment to the people of Lebanon, Israel and throughout the region to act immediately with the international community toward the goal of a comprehensive and sustainable peace. | Perche’ nun ce sta’ na soluzzione si nun se mettemo d’accordo tutti ‘nsieme. |
Alla fine, l'impressione che se ne ricava, e' che tutto stiamo facendo, tranne che "aiutarli a casa loro"; piuttosto, ci pensi qualcun'altro!
