August 7, 2003

Uggghhh...

Several months ago, I sent a letter to both of my Senators regarding Maher "Mike" Hawash, and his detainment as a material witness.

Yesterday, he plead guilty to one charge of conspiring to contribute services to the Taliban. His plea agreement details his actions.

I, like many people, am irate at the fact that Mr. Hawash, an American citizen, was held for 5 weeks, without charge. More information on the material witness statute and several other articles are available at the Free Mike Hawash Links Page.

What has me the most upset? The government has overstepped their bounds, but, they did it in the case of someone who plead quilty. I fear that his guilty plea will go far in silencing the people who should be arguing with the government's actions on principal.

I don't subscribe to the theories that he was coerced or tortured by the government. He plead guilty. But just because he plead guilty after the fact does not mean that he should have been denied his rights of habeus corpus beforehand.

I can only hope that this type of investigation and holding of American Citizens in direct opposition to the Constitution will be a checkered past we've overcome in the very near future.

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