US News
Padilla sentenced to 17 years in prison
Jan 22, 2008, 18:59 GMT
Washington - Jose Padilla, a US citizen held since 2002 for involvement in terrorism, was sentenced Tuesday to 17 years in prison, media reports said.
Padilla, 37, who was held for more than three years in a military prison without access to a lawyer, was found guilty in August of conspiracy to murder, kidnap and maim individuals in a foreign country and providing material support to terrorists.
The sentence in US District Court in Miami fell short of the maximum sentence of life in prison.
Padilla was arrested in May 2002 at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on charges of plotting with al-Qaeda to set off a radioactive device known as a 'dirty bomb' in the United States.
But attorneys dropped initial plans to try Padilla independently for the plot after his three years of isolation in a US military prison without access to a lawyer or charges being filed.
US President George W Bush declared Padilla an 'enemy combatant' in 2002, a term used for many of the foreign prisoners with suspected links to terrorism at the Guantanamo Bay military facility on Cuba.
The White House changed course in the Padilla case shortly before the Supreme Court was scheduled to determine if it would hear Padilla's case. The Bush administration has suffered several legal defeats before the Supreme Court in its handling of terrorist suspects.
Padilla alleges that he was tortured while in US custody, charges the government denies.
The indictment charged that Padilla travelled overseas to train as a terrorist with the intention of fighting in 'violent jihad' and promoting a radical Islamic fundamentalist ideology that advocates using physical force and violence.
© 2008 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
Now ! Let that be a lesson to ya.
Stupid terrorist.
An enemy gets sentenced. The way it should be, for it would not be justice if they arrested you, if you were innocent, but did not have the chance to prove it in a trial. We do not live under a dictatorship ruling by fear and ultimate control of its people. My country, right when right.
There seems to ber a basic misunderstanding about the sacred principles of justice in last post .Nobody needs to prove his innocence ,it is up to the prosecutor to prove guilt ,an enormous difference .
There are a few things that needs clarification .Apparently this guy spent time in an egyptian jail,is that correct?How come ?And why ,being an american citizen did he spent more than three years in detention without even being accused of anything ,as the article claims .Honestly,put anybody in prison for years without accusing him,ship him to Egypt to have him tortured ,he will confess to anything just to get out of limbo .He might be guilty,he might be innocent,but one thing is certain;due to the inhumane and unfair detention conditions you will never know for certain .The way the war on terror is fought is a mockery of justice .Justice is supposed to be one of the pillars of democracy .Conclusion;the war on terror is partly destroying the very same concept it is supposed to defend .Time to adjust I'd say.
What you are describing here has NOTHING to do with the reality of the war against islamists.
Your opinions have no relation to the REALITY of what is happening in the world.
Go write and complain to your local mufti ok?
You have only excuses for your jihadists friends.
You should be so thankful the USA is not waging war as we used to do in WW 2 and earlier. This war would had been over otherwise.
It can turn around when we have a president who is not a friend of Saudi Arabia.
Hungarian Crusader
tonny from belgium.
So soorrry muslim, you lose this one. You cant keep using the law to justifiy your sick cult. Take up a gun so we can remove you.
page: 1
SP4: wellJan 22nd, 2008 - 19:58:04
...that's something...I guess..
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