Terrorism can be a criminal charge, however they're going to prosecute street gangs and other domestic terrorists like other criminals. The KKK doesn't get terrorism charges, they get hate crime charges. It's all about context.
Correct, EpicDude86.
If a KKK'er commits a crime the feds will charge them with that crime, and throw a hate crime book at them too, if it is applicable.
Same goes for gangbangers - if they commit a crime the court will charge them for that crime and their gang affiliation will add time to their penalty - the judge will also throw a gang affiliation book at them.
Anyway.
I think too many people are splitting hairs over this one - there is no doubt that they are terrorists, and they have commited a heinous crime against America, and humanity as a whole, but the Obama administration chose to try them in federal court versus a military one - this is their choice like it or not - now, if they start putting Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and the CIA on trial, then I say it is wrong, wrong, wrong - they are not the ones charged and on trial, the ones charged out of GITMO for what they did should be the only concern for the trial - all else is not relevant to the trial. Show the crime they committed, prove it was them, and then sentence them for it.
Also, I believe technically it would be better to try them in federal court because they are not US soldiers and they did not commit a direct crime against the US military - but this doesn't mean they should walk for what they did, and they won't - but, if they start trying to swing the trial away from the charged and toward us - holler - holler - holler 'til it stops, and rake them over the coals for their attempt.
I say for now, good folks need to pick their battles with this one - watch, see where it goes, but continue to argue for President Dithers to give Gen. McChrystal what he needs - this is a good argument that needs to be heard for the sake of the boots on the ground, and keeping tyranny down. If Afghanistan falls to the weigh-side it will fall to Iran's proxies, in turn Iran, and the same for Iraq if we don't help set up a strong governments their to keep them from taking over the region, and then all else from there until the world is nothing but Islamo Nazis if we allow it.
Don't get me wrong here - I am not against Muslims - there are many, many good Muslims in the world, just as there are Christians, Jews, Buudhists, non-believers, and so on down the line. The fanatics we discuss here on this thread, the ones who are about to go on trial, are a cut from a different cloth - they are intolerant of all others but themselves, and that is even questionable.
The world does not need more intolerance - it needs more tolerance.