I don’t understand the objection that some people have to Mirandizing terrorist suspects in the US, particularly when they’re apprehended by civilian police agencies.
That said, I can see why it would not be appropriate for the military to Mirandize people they capture on foreign battlefields, but for domestic police agencies arresting people on US soil? No excuse, period. That the FBI contacted the CIA when arresting the suspected Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad to see if they should Mirandize him left me chilled — he’s a US citizen on US soil, yet it’s not automatically assumed that he should be accorded the rights and protections that any other US citizen being arrested? What have we done? How far will this go? How do we stop this?
I’m a firm supporter in due process, and feel that everyone, even suspected terrorists, deserves to be treated humanely, have access to legal counsel, and a fair and speedy trial. I strongly feel that there are absolutely zero circumstances where torture is justified (( That doesn’t mean we need to cuddle prisoners during interrogation, but torture is wrong. Period. )) .Indeed, I feel that it’s these very principles that separate civilized people from uncivilized people.
Indeed, I’d like to see such protections extended to those captured by the military overseas. While I understand that different rules apply to the military than to civilian police agencies and courts (and that different rules apply to “prisoners of war” vs. “detainees”), I don’t see how it’s unreasonable to ask that these basic protections be afforded to such detainees. If they’ve truly done bad things, then it shouldn’t be difficult to show that in an open and fair court and then legally sentence them to an appropriate punishment (e.g. imprisonment) if they’re convicted. If they haven’t done bad things, then they should be released. Monitor them, perhaps, if its suspected that they’ll lead investigators to other bad guys, but holding people without trial is simply wrong.
The fact that we’re holding detainees without trial and even considering not Mirandizing terrorist suspects — US citizen or not — arrested by civilian police agencies is a dark stain upon this nation’s honor.