Posted by
Gabrielle Cusumano on Saturday, December 05, 2009 7:13:25 PM
Judea and Ruth Pearl are parents of the Wall Street Journal's Daniel Pearl, who was beheaded by KSM in Pakistan. “We, who witnessed the darkest side of hell, and have since spent every moment of our lives studying the anatomy of terror,” the Pearls wrote, “we refuse to accept the strategy of normalization that Holder’s decision represents.”
Statement by Judea and Ruth Pearl as read at the New York rally by Brian Dennehy on December 5 2009
Friends,
On behalf of the Daniel Pearl Foundation ( Daniel Pearl Foundation ), we wish to join you today in a call to reverse Attorney General Eric Holder's decision to try America's new-type of enemies in New York Federal court.
We wish to add to your rally the perspective of our own personal tragedy which, in many ways, has come to symbolize the depth of inhumanity that has swept our planet in the 21st century, and the sense of urgency with which this planet is currently watching your rally, in New York City, a rally that may very well hold the key to the future of open society.
We, who witnessed the darkest side of hell, and have since spent every moment of our lives studying the anatomy of terror, we refuse to accept the strategy of normalization that Holder's decision represents. Terror is a crime against society, and should not be tried in the same court as crimes against individuals or against a particular country.
Let us make it perfectly clear. We are not concerned about the safety issues that this trial poses to New York City -- we trust our law enforcement officers. Nor are we concerned about the anguish of our children who will be seeing the memories and values of their loved ones mocked and ridiculed in the court room -- they have known greater pains before. We are concerned about the millions of angry youngsters, among them potential terrorists, who will be watching this trial unfold on Al Jazeera TV and come to the realization that America has caved in to Al Qaeda's demands for publicity. The atrocity of 9/11 and the brutal murder of Daniel Pearl are vivid reminders of terrorists' craving to dramatize their perceived grievances against the West.
Today, America has given them an even lauder mega-phone -- in the best theater in town -- and thus signaled to thousands of would-be terrorists that joining Al Qaeda or other terror organizations is one way to obtain that craved-for mega-phone.
We who have studied the anatomy of terrorism cannot accept the logic that terror has no country therefore it cannot be defined, named and fought with the same determination and creativity that civilized society has fought other existential threats since the invention of gun powder. These include high-seas piracy, the introduction of poison gas and the threat of nuclear weapons; all were contained by creative changes in international law and the establishment of new legal categories. The invention of the suicide belt is of no lesser threat.
Terror is an ideology that elevates one's grievances above the norms of civilized society and, like any epidemic of global dimension it must be fought by attending to the distinct mechanisms that transmit and propagate the disease.
In 2002, the international community has given America a moral mandate to fight the new epidemic with all the necessary instruments, including a new court system and new legal regimes. The decision to try the arch-symbols of terror in ordinary criminal court, using traditional legal instruments, constitutes a betrayal of that mandate.
Mr. Attorney General, our children and grand-children are imploring you today: Please reclaim America's mandate to secure a brighter future for our troubled world!
Judea and Ruth Pearl Los Angeles, California
Statement by Judea and Ruth Pearl as read at the New York rally by Brian Dennehy on December 5 2009
ON THE INTERNET:
DEFEND OUR DEFENDERS.org - 911 NEVER FORGET.US: "STATEMENT BY JUDEA AND RUTH PEARL ON ERIC HOLDER'S DECISION TO TRY KHALID SHEIKH MUHAMMAD IN FEDERAL COURT" (December 5, 2009)
CNS NEWS.com: "REP. GOHMERT: 'We Don't Have Forensic Wagons To Gather Evidence on the Battlefield' for Civil Court Trial of Terrorists" by Nicholas Ballasy (November 30, 2009)
AMERICAN THINKER.com - blog: 'TERRORIST CRIMINAL TRIALS AND THE COMING JIHAD" by Abraham H. Miller (SNIPPET: "Obama is willing to compromise intelligence and provide the jihadists with a propaganda platform because he needs to placate the extremist elements of his political base. By taking these terrorists out of the military's hands and putting them into the criminal justice system, Obama is redefining terrorism as a criminal justice issue and not as irregular warfare. In this, Obama is beginning a process that will reshape the meaning of terrorism in consonance with the sympathetic, minimalist notions of leftist ideology. Terrorist trials in the media capital of the world will be a magnet for the inspired publicity of jihadism.") (November 27, 2009)
ONE NEWS NOW.com: "NY TERRORIST TRIAL 'JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE'" by Chad Groening (November 24, 2009)
ONE NEWS NOW.com: "HOLDER'S TERROR TRIAL RESPONSE 'BREATHTAKING'" by Jim Brown (November 23, 2009)
JIHAD WATCH.org (NEW YORK TIMES, November 21, 2009): "ATTORNEY FOR 9/11 DEFENDANTS: YES, THEY WANT A PLATFORM FOR PROPAGANDA" (Posted November 22, 2009)
MICHELLE MALKIN.com - blog: "GITMO DETAINEES WILL USE TRIALS AS 'PLATFORM' TO BASH AMERICA" (November 22, 2009, 10:13 pm)
WASHINGTON TIMES.com - Editorial Exclusive: "ON TERRORISTS, JUSTICE RECUSED" (SNIPPET: "The Obama Justice Department is having problems prosecuting terrorist cases because top department attorneys have conflicts of interest.") (November 22, 2009)
TOWNHALL.com: Washington - "SUICIDE PACT" -Column by Oliver North (SNIPPET: "Nobody has asked yet how many judges, prosecutors, prison guards and jurors will require such protection as a consequence of these decisions. They should. Otherwise, the actions taken this week by the Obama administration won't just be labeled as political correctness; they will be called political suicide.") (November 20, 2009)
INVESTORS.com: "THE WAR ON TERROR TRIAL" (SNIPPET: "Holder's response: "Trust me." Trust a Justice Department that puts politics before national security?") (November 18, 2009)
HOT AIR.com - blog: "9/11 MOM CONFRONTS HOLDER: Why are you doing this?" -posted by Allahpundit (November 18, 2009)
MICHELLE MALKIN.com - blog: "CULTURE OF CORRUPTION: HOLDER, TERRORISTS, COVINGTON & BURLING" (November 18, 2009)
DAVID LIMBAUGH.com - New Column: "CIVIL TRIAL FOR JIHADISTS AND OBAMA'S THIRD WORLD VISION FOR AMERICA" by David Limbaugh (SNIPPET: "I can think of a number of motives President Barack Obama might have for his egregious decision to bring Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other high-profile al-Qaida terrorists to New York for trial in our civil courts. Regardless of which motives apply, one thing is clear: Our enemy is at war against us while we are in a suicidal, 9/10 state of denial.") (November 16, 2009)
NEWSMAX.com: "GIULIANI: 9/11 TRIALS IN NYC WILL LEAD TO MORE TERRORISM" (November 13, 2009, 10:09 pm)
NATIONAL REVIEW.com: "TRIAL AND TERROR The Left Gets Its Reckoning." by Andrew C. McCarthy (SNIPPET: "The decision to bring Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other top al-Qaeda terrorists to New York City for a civilian trial is one of the most irresponsible ever made by a presidential administration. That it is motivated by politics could not be more obvious. That it spells unprecedented danger for our security will soon become obvious.") (October 16, 2009, 10:00 am)
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MICHELLE MALKIN.com - blog: "BOMBSHELL: OBAMA BRINING KSM TO NYC FOR TRIAL; FORMER BUSH AG MUKASEY RESPONDS: "High Risk of Attack"" (November 13, 2009)
CNS NEWS.com: "In May, Obama Said He'd Use Military Commissions to Try Terrorists 'Who Violate the Laws of War' and to Protect Intelligence Sources and Trial Participants" by Terence P. Jeffrey (SNIPPET: "In a speech delivered six months before his administration decided to try 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed in a federal civilian court, President Barack Obama said he would use military commissions to try terrorists who "violate the laws of war" and to protect intelligence sources and methods as well as the safety of the people who would need to participate in such trials. In the speech, Obama said: "We are indeed at war with al Qaeda and its affiliates." Additionally, he warned in the May 21 speech that "al Qaeda is actively planning to attack us again" and that after 9/11 the nation had entered an era in which we faced "enemies who did not abide by any law of war."") (November 18, 2009)
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JUSTICE.gov: Washington, D.C. - "ATTORNEY GENERAL TESTIFIES BEFORE THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE" (November 18, 2009)
JUSTICE.gov: Washington, D.C. - "WRITTEN TESTIMONY BY ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER TO SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE" (November 18, 2009)
FOX NEWS.com: "HOLDER ANNOUNCES PLAN TO SEND ALLEGED SEPTEMBER 11 CONSPIRATORS TO NEW YORK COURT" (Updated November 13, 2009)
U.S. DOJ.gov - Justice.Gov: "ATTORNEY GENERAL ANNOUNCES FORUM DECISIONS FOR GUANTANAMO DETAINEES" (November 13, 2009)
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stepping back in time...MICHELLE MALKIN.com: "PAY ATTENTION TO ERIC HOLDER'S LAW FIRM AND GITMO DETAINEES" (January 23, 2009,02:41 pm)
DEFENSElink.mil (AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE): Washington - "GUANTANAMO LIKELY TO MISS CLOSURE DEADLINE, OBAMA SAYS" by Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden (November 18, 2009)
DEFENSElink.mil (AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE): Washington - "TRIAL DECISION BRINGS GUANTANAMO CLOSER TO CLOSING" by Fred W. Baker III (November 13, 2009)
DEFENSElink.mil - Release No. 889-09: "DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND JUSTICE ANNOUNCE FORUM DECISIONS FOR TEN GUANTANAMO BAY DETAINEES" (November 13, 2009)
FOX NEWS.com: "BLINDED PRISON GUARD: Don't House Terror Suspects in NYC" by Joseph Abrams (SNIPPET: "On Nov. 1, 2000, Pepe was ambushed in the cell of Mamdouh Mahmud Salim -- an alleged top aide to Usama bin Laden. Salim's cellmate, another Al Qaeda suspect, joined in the attack, which prosecutors say was an attempt to steal Pepe's keys to the cell block to free other prisoners and take hostages. The two had been granted permission by a federal judge to purchase hot sauce, says Pepe's sister, which they then stored in a honey jar and used to create a blinding mace. Teaming up against Pepe, they beat and blinded him, covering the floor in his spattered blood. They then tried to rape him as he waited an entire hour for fellow guards to come to his aid, his sister said. "They wanted to discredit the badge and what he stood for," Eileen Trotta told FoxNews.com. "After they plunged him in the eye with that makeshift knife, they did the sign of the cross on his chest." Trotta said it would be like "deja vu" to see more Al Qaeda detainees shipped into New York for trial, where their court hearings will be just blocks from Ground Zero. There's no reason why everything has to be in New York, especially after 9/11 and what happened to Louis," she said. "It doesn't make sense -- why bring them into the hotbed of the city?"") (November 14, 2009)