Five Of The Liberty City Six Convicted

All but Naudimar Herrera.

Hey folks,

Happy Hump Day to you. That's right. All but one of the Liberty City Six were convicted after TWO mistrials. Now I have a question for you in just a second. According to the The Philadelphia Enquirer 5 convicted - after two mistrials Jurors found all but one guilty in a Miami group's plot to blow up the Sears Tower. By Jay Weaver

McClatchy Newspapers

MIAMI - After two mistrials, a federal jury yesterday reached verdicts in the Bush-era terrorism case of six Miami men charged with conspiring with an FBI informant they believed was an al-Qaeda representative to blow up Chicago's landmark Sears Tower and federal buildings in Florida.

The jury convicted five of the so-called the Liberty City Six - ringleader Narseal Batiste, 35, along with Patrick Abraham, 29; Stanley Grant Phanor, 33; Rotschild Augustine, 25; and Burson Augustin, 24.

The only freed man was Naudimar Herrera, 25, who hugged the other defendants and his attorney, Richard Houlihan, after the verdicts.

Batiste, detained since his arrests with the others in June 2006, faces 70 years in prison. Abraham, a Haitian national, could serve up to 50 years. Phanor and the Augustin brothers, whose bonds were revoked by U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard, face up to 30 years. Sentencings are set for July 27.

OK so these people, five of them anyway, were convicted. So I guess that this would mean that it works. We really can try terror suspects here in the US Courts instead of Military Tribunals. Right?

This case was a mess. Two mistrials, and this one delayed twice. The first time after a sick juror had to be replaced, and the second time after the Judge removed a recalcitrant panelist because she refused to deliberate with the others. We do not know why she did, but she did.

So yes, THIS Jury found five guilty, and they could be facing a long time behind bars. Some would argue that Jail is probably better than where they came from to begin with, but that's not the point. What happens to Naudimar Herrera now? Is he a citizen? Will he be deported? Will he join another radical group and go back to planing our destruction as so many have done that have been released? What about the rest of them that are in Gitmo?

Is this a victory for the American Way? A victory for the rule of law? Or is this dangerous territory that should not be entered into?

I know that some of my more Liberal friends out there, including the Anti-War crowd will most likely say this is a good day. That this proves we can remain "true" to the ways of this country, bring these people here, and try them using the rule of our laws. They will prop this case up as an example. So let's bring them all here, give them "Rights" and let the courts decide.

I'm not sure I agree with that. One, they are NOT US Citizens. Two, history has shown us that the majority of those released, have gone right back to trying to kill us. So if they are found not guilty for any reason, will we release them onto our streets? Three, we have a method, that is based in the rule of law, to deal with these types of people. It's call Military Tribunals. They are NOT American Criminals. They are American ENEMIES that are bent on killing as many of us as possible and destroying our way of life.

I have no problem with these six being tried here. They were HERE. But for those that have never stepped foot on American Soil, I feel they should never be brought here and given American Rights while we try to convict them by American Citizens who may or may not be privy to all the facts. Nor should they be. This is best handled the way we have it set up to be handled. But that is just my honest opinion.
Peter

Sources:
The Philadelphia Enquirer - 5 convicted - after two mistrials