Anti-terror judge slams US tactics

[cal04]

TERRORISM was a crime to be pursued through international co-operation rather than a movement to be targeted in a war waged by individual nations, a veteran Spanish anti-terrorist investigator said in an apparent slap at the United States.

"Terrorism is a crime, it's not a movement ... In a war, we have to defend ourselves, and this is today distorting the effectiveness of the fight against terrorism," Baltasar Garzon, an investigating judge for Spain's National Court, said. "The only way to combat terrorism in any of its manifestations is with the strength of law and reason and not the reason of force," he said.

Washington has been accused of torture and abusing detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and the U.S. detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in a quest for intelligence in a war on terrorism rather than for evidence to prove crimes.

Judge Garzon said such tactics meant going down a dangerous road as illegally obtained evidence could not be used in a court of law. The judge, who has been investigating Islamic militants since 1991, is best known for a failed attempt to extradite former dictator General Augusto Pinochet from Britain in 1998 and put him on trial in Spain for human rights abuses committed in Chile.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15568477%255E1702,00.html

[TahitiNut]

1. Finally, a judge that makes some sense.

The whole specious notion of a 'war' on terrorism is insane. The 9-11 atrocities were CRIMINAL acts, not acts of war. By making the totally specious facade of "war" and then denying any obligation to comply with the associated international law, the US has waged an illegal war on non-warring states. These are crimes in response to crimes -- just like competing organized crime families. Never before has this country stooped so low and become as corrupt. The US is an outlaw nation.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

2. Same judge who tried to nail Pinochet

One of the good guys, undoubtedly.