Topic: Newsmax
In a Feb. 12 Newsmax column, Ronald Kessler appears to be cribbing from Dana Perino's talking points regarding comparisons between alleged "underwear bomber" Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and shoe bomber Richard Reid:
Holder and White House officials have cited the fact that the Bush administration gave the same rights to shoe bomber Richard Reid as to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab after his arrest in Detroit.
The comparisons are misleading. Reid was arrested three months after 9/11, before the Bush administration had established military tribunals and procedures for dealing with such threats outside of civilian courts.
In fact, the Bush administration placed numerous people in military custody before and around the time that Reid was arrested, which seemed not to have been hindered by the alleged lack of a military tribunal system.
