"Day in Court"

Have you ever had to go to court? There are specific rules of behavior in a court of law, and judges are very strict about following those rules. There is a bailiff in the courtroom that does whatever the judge says to enforce the rules of the court, and he means it, too. Most judges practice law for a very long time before they become judges and expect a measure of respect from every person that enters their court. Judges don’t take kindly to those who show “contempt” of our judicial system, and that can lead to a quick trip to jail.

Military tribunals are the Armed Forces Court System, and they work pretty well, and have for quite a long time. These courts are specifically designed for crimes committed during times of conflict, and usually directed toward enemy combatants or spies. The rules of evidence are similar to a civilian court with some exceptions, but the defendant’s rights are carefully protected.

As a former soldier, I can attest to the fact that there is “no fooling around” in any military court; but a tribunal court is the “Big Cheese” of all military courts.

We used tribunal courts in Nuremberg against NAZI war criminals, most of who were either hanged or given extremely lengthy sentences. Israel used a tribunal court to convict the infamous war criminal, Adolf Eichmann, who was responsible for millions of deaths in NAZI Concentration Camps. During Eichmann’s trial, he was kept in a bullet-proof booth for his own safety, and he wore headphones so he could understand everything that was said in the courtroom. Even a heinous criminal like Eichmann had his rights protected in the Israeli courtroom. Evidence against Eichmann was mountainous and the verdict was easily predictable; Eichmann went to the gallows. Eichmann’s last words were “Long live Germany! Long live Austria! Long live Argentina! I owe a lot to these countries and I shall not forget them. I had to obey the rules of war and my flag!”;  a final statement from a lunatic zealot before he got his JUST REWARD!!

In America, we are now watching the courtroom antics of some “lunatic zealots” in front of one of our military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Five Muslim terrorists are now participating in the military justice system, and I don’t believe they have much respect for those who are going to judge them. They have ignored the tribunal president, Col. James Pohl and have refused to use the headphones provided so they may hear the proceedings in their own language. They have kneeled during the trial to “pray” in order to disrupt testimony. One of the terrorists refuses to leave his cell to attend the trial. I guess he will be tried in “absentia”. The tribunal is being very careful about keeping these men safe, as death threats are a possibility at any time. There have been frequent outbursts from these men about Jihad and other radical Muslim rants. They have complained of torture while in captivity, yet all look well fed and uninjured. They were given a special Muslim diet and allowed prayer time every day while incarcerated. These men are of the same ilk of those that mutilated the bodies of American soldiers and murdered women and children in the spirit of “Jihad”. They continue to take pride in their murderous acts on 9-11, and I’m sure they will proclaim their satanic beliefs all the way to the firing squad. Who knows, perhaps after they quit breathing here, they will be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with Osama bin Laden in the depths of Hell together and talk about the merits of Jihad!