Washington – If the U.S. captures top al-Qaida leaders Osama Bin Laden or Ayman al-Zawahiri, they would likely be sent to the Guantanamo Bay military prison, CIA Director Leon Panetta told senators Wednesday.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
This suggests that, given the choice, President Barack Obama would not try the men in the U.S. court system, opting instead for the Bush administration’s policy that the president has long criticized.
White House press secretary Jay Carney said the president remains committed to closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay. Carney would not speculate on what would happen if bin Laden was captured.
Panetta discussed the hypothetical capture of two of America’s most wanted terrorists in response to a question from a senator during a hearing about worldwide threats. Panetta said — if captured — the men would probably be quickly moved to Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan to be questioned and eventually sent to Guantanamo Bay.
Under current law, Guantanamo Bay detainees cannot be moved to U.S. soil, even to stand trial.
Both bin Laden and Zawahiri have been indicted and could stand trial in New York City.
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told senators said he expects multiple federal agencies would weigh in on whether to try the men. But if they are sent to Guantanamo, as Panetta predicted, trying the men in the U.S. court system would be prohibited.
Attorney General Eric Holder has said he hopes the U.S. will capture and interrogate bin Laden, but he doesn’t expect the al-Qaida leader to be taken alive.
The U.S. has been trying to capture bin Laden and Zawahiri for more than 10 years. Intelligence officials believe they are hiding in Northwest Pakistan.
This talk about trial for Bin Laden Y”Sh and his ilk is sickening. Yes, we are a democratic country, and we need to follow rules. But there has got to be an exception made for mass murderers. These people, if allowed to be left alive, should be subjected to torture that is parallel to that which they brought upon the world. These animals do not deserve the dignity of a trial, legal representation, etc. Their deaths would be an honor to the world they terrorized. It is probably a lot easier to deal with their corpses than with them alive. Why make our mission more difficult? Find them and eliminate them. They never put their victims on trial.
Chaptzem !!!!! Chaptzem !!!!! Did anyone catch him yet..? Any one here believes that after so many years after 9-11 he his still in hiding.? Why worry now what we will do with him.? When he will be caught alive thats when you plan what to do with him..
Obama had 2 years to catch that chalerya and didn’t. If he catches him – then what? Have Carter sing kumbaya around a campfire with him?
How hard is it to catch someone with a dialysis machine strapped to his camel?
Sent to Guantanamo Bay? How about cut to pieces and fed to the dogs?
The CIA knows exactly where he is hiding. The truth is they don’t WANT to capture him as it will bring too many problems for them. Including the fact that at one time he was on the CIA payroll himself, when he was fighting the Russians in Afghanastan.
It is my understanding that we almost caught Bin Ladin in 2001 at Tora Bora, but somehow we blew it. Also, Clinton had a chance to send a cruise missile at Obama, but he chickened out. However, if the day comes when both Osama Bin Ladin and Ayman Al Zawahiri are caught, the day should be declared to be both an American holiday, and a Jewish holiday. Incidentally, in 1979, Bin Ladin traveled to the USA.
For political expediency, I don’t think that Bin Ladin will ever be captured, until he is too old and useless. Then he will be discarded by his own people.
The Ladin family is a good friend of the USA, so I am told.