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GOP lawmakers demand answers from White House over Iraqi court freeing man accused of killing 5 U.S. soldiers
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-- Republican lawmakers are demanding some answers from the Obama administration after a terror suspect has been released in Iraq.
His name is Ali was -- active and he is believed to be -- Hezbollah commander.
Accused of killing five US soldiers and Karbala back in 2007.
He was turned over to Iraqi officials.
For years later.
And now is set to be released.
And that has sparked outrage from critics calling for a military trial for this man at Guantanamo Bay who wish that he had never left our custody.
Officials say that they were forced to transfer this prisoner over to Iraqi custody because of a Bush Administration agreement from 2007.
Now the Justice Department had no immediate comment for us on this a lot of this is still in the works.
I'm joined now by judge Michael Khazei who is a former US attorney general of course appointed.
By president George W.
Bush just welcome.
Please let -- get your morning a lot of people want to make sure that this man meets the justice that they believe he deserves and that will not happen if he's released by Iraqi officials.
No it sure won't and what it demonstrates is that the Iraqi.
Justice system as the Iraqi Government is dominated by Iranian interest and now that we've left we have no leverage.
What about the argument in the administration's argument on -- they released eight pages of charges against him including murder.
But those charges were not released until after he was turned over to Iraqi custody so we lost our opportunity at that point to prosecute him but they say that they had to turn him over because of an agreement that was already put in place by the Bush Administration.
That agreement applies to Iraqis it's not clear this guy was an Iraqi might have been Lebanese he's been at this for thirty years he was the head of the the bodyguard.
Detail for the head of Hezbollah he is among the worst of the -- He was turned over to the Iraqi he was gonna be turned over to the Iraqis in July 11.
The and -- story blew the whistle on that -- a letter from some Republicans and Joseph Lieberman stop that the administration pulled back.
They eventually then turn them over anyway.
He was tried before an Iraqi court acquitted.
This guy in 2007 hit -- up a group of people who kidnapped five Americans.
Murdered four of them while they were handcuffed.
The -- of a convoy.
Into.
-- into a military facility.
The consulate looked very much like it was a US convoy and that's how they slipped through the gates.
They were dressed in US uniforms.
And then proceeded to kidnapped five US soldiers and ended up killing all of this is that it's -- heinous heinous crime.
That this man has been accused of is there any way that the administration at this point can can club back here that they can get him back into US custody well they say it we we reach up for comment is that we know coming at this at this time it sound like they're working -- I don't know whether the working on it or not but if they could reverse their policy about taking people to Guantanamo they would they will not take anybody want them.
If they would this guy is a perfect candidate for -- and for military connection.
But they won't do it and so and they they would have to reverse that I would think of him that they couldn't bring obviously there is politically it.
Well for them to bring people to Guantanamo after they've said that they want it there and closed on top and they don't want to add to the ranks there.
Dire assessment.
That is -- -- I let let's talk also about a bill in in the United States that you're very -- about that also deals with detainees.
And that some are saying basically is signifies that the end of the war on terror in the United States has happened with how we would deal with terrorists were caught here in the United States.
Well this would.
Require that anybody taken into custody in the United States would automatically get Miranda warnings be brought into the civilian system.
No questioning at all for intelligence know.
Turning over to the military eventually knows that it designation as unlawful -- make an enemy combatant.
And the proponents of this claim they're protecting American citizens this applies to any person.
It doesn't apply only to American citizens number one number two.
In the last eleven years -- but only for American citizens have been designated as unlawful enemy combatants and there's no doubt that they all deserved it.
So this is legislation to solve the problem that doesn't exist and that would hurt.
Our attempt to deal with foreign terrorist in fact it would incentivize them to come to the united -- because they get full full constitutional protection.
So anybody who will work if some way to -- -- -- boarded up dirty bomb in.
Chicago that's for bet that person would not be treated as an enemy combatant they would be treated as it as a Timothy and that -- If Mohammed Tata himself.
Came to the United States to be taken -- be given Miranda warnings put into an article three court that's inexcusable.
Thank you -- interest in cases could -- -- -- --
