Prosecutor outrages the Left

Action from 2/22 Radio: For breaking an ID theft ring of over 1300 illegal aliens, DA Ken Buck finds himself sued by ACLU and pilloried by the New York Times. The Weld County prosecutor and his colleague, Sheriff John Cooke, must be doing something right. Here is a partial archive of web links for state and national news coverage of the story since it broke in November.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/02/us/02greeley.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=Ken%20Buck&st=cse

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20081120/NEWS/811199888/1001&title=Allard%20talks%20%27Number%20Games%27%20on%20Senate%20floor

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20081120/NEWS/811199886/1001&title=%27Number%20Games%27%20suspect%27s%20family%20confused%20by%20arrest

http://www.noco5.com/index.aspx

Greeley Tribune

11/16/08

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20081116/NEWS/811159876/1002/NONE&parentprofile=1001&title=Farmers%2C%20business%20owners%20concerned%20about%20finding%20workers

Editorial

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20081116/TRIBEDIT/811159936/1029/NONE&parentprofile=1025&title=Immigration%20reform%20long%20overdue

11/15/08

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20081115/NEWS/811159958/1002/NONE&parentprofile=1001&title=Officials%20hope%20arrests%20lead%20to%20widespread%20change

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20081115/NEWS/811159994/1002/NONE&parentprofile=1001&title=ANALYSIS%3A%20Federal%20policies%20hinder%20immigration%20enforcement

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20081115/NEWS/811159996/1002/NONE&parentprofile=1001&title=New%20immigration%20rift

11/14/08

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20081114/NEWS/811139961/1002/NONE&parentprofile=1001&title=Weld%20cracks%20down%20on%201%2C300%20ID%20theft%20cases

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20081114/NEWS/811149962/1002/NONE&parentprofile=1001&title=ID%20THEFT%3A%20Arrested%20so%20far

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20081114/NEWS/811149949/1002/NONE&parentprofile=1001&title=ID%20THEFT%3A%20Understanding%20the%20tax%20ID%20number

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20081114/NEWS/811149947/1002/NONE&parentprofile=1001&title=ID%20THEFT%3A%20Examples%20of%20returns

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20081114/NEWS/811149974/1002/NONE&parentprofile=1001&title=ID%20THEFT%3A%20By%20the%20numbers

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20081114/NEWS/811149942/1002/NONE&parentprofile=1001&title=Woman%20finds%20herself%20a%20victim%20

Television

11/14/08

Channel 5

http://www.noco5.com/story.aspx?ID=471&Cat=2

Channel 9

http://www.9news.com/rss/article.aspx?storyid=103992

http://www.9news.com/news/investigative/article.aspx?storyid=103852&catid=207

Channel 7

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/17992968/detail.html

Channel 4

http://cbs4denver.com/local/illegal.immigration.greeley.2.864743.html

Channel 2

http://www.kwgn.com/pages/news_local_landing/?Weld-Co-probe-focuses-on-illegal-tax-ref=1&blockID=134747&feedID=202

Longmont Times-Call

http://www.timescall.com/print.asp?ID=12168

Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/nov/16/1300-could-be-arrested-in-immigrants-tax-scam/

CNN LOU DOBBS

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2008/11/14/wian.bb.identity.theft.scheme.cnn

KKTV

http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/34456909.html

NFIB: The Voice of Small Business

http://nfibelection2008.illumen.org/newsArticle.jsf?documentId=2c9e4f691d9ef3f3011da0d0a75f01eb

Free Republic

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2133235/posts

Americans for Legal Immigration

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=138238

Colorado Springs Gazette

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CO_IMMIGRATION_TAXES_COOL-?SITE=COCOL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_10989583

Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/nov/14/weld-county-investigating-1330-tax-files-for/

MSNBC Message Board

http://boards.msn.com/MSNBCboards/thread.aspx?threadid=193977&boardsparam=Page%3D3277

Minuteman HQ Forum

http://forum.minutemanhq.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=18525&sid=c3696ee1597ff3a87e94ad5fedf4c425

AARP Bulletin Today

http://bulletin.aarp.org/states/co/articles/analysis_federal_policies_hinder_immigration_enforcement.html

United for A Sovereign American

http://immigrationbuzz.com/

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=103852&catid=188

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/17979255/detail.html

http://cbs4denver.com/local/illegal.immigration.greeley.2.864743.html

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/nov/14/weld-county-investigating-1330-tax-files-for/

No jihadists to Supermax, continued

Seems I hit a nerve with my post about Gov. Ritter's collision with international law if Gitmo prisoners are moved to Colorado SuperMax. Indignant comments by Bill Menezes on this site and at PoliticsWest.com claimed I'm all wet. But his objections shatter on the clear text of the Geneva Conventions and relevant case law. His attempt to obfuscate salient facts with irrelevant minutiae fails the test of common sense, as well as established national and international legal precedent.

As mentioned in my original post, the salient fact is the prohibition on internment of combatant detainees (both actual prisoners of war and “unlawful combatants” – more on that later) in civilian penitentiaries.

In the operative provision, Menezes puts undue weight on the qualifying language before the comma: "Except in particular cases which are justified by the interest of the prisoners themselves, they shall not be interned in penitentiaries."

Common sense will inform the reader that the “particular cases” exception to the general rule is applied to individual detainees who are, for whatever reason (generally certain medical conditions, threats from fellow prisoners, or conviction of a civil crime in addition to their combatant detention status) better served or cared for in a civilian facility. Note that this exception is expressly in the interest of the prisoners themselves, not for the convenience or political benefit of the detaining power.

However, since common sense appears to be in general short supply, there is also an established body of case law and the commentary of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) that applies:

“Internment of prisoners of war in [p.183] penitentiaries is in principle prohibited because of the painful psychological impressions which such places might create for prisoners of war.” Citation here.

So in summary: The facts of international law and treaty (Geneva Convention III Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War) and our obligations under those laws (and U.S. statute) are clear: persons falling under military jurisdiction as prisoners (irrespective of their combatant status) are NOT to be detained in civilian penitentiaries as a matter of policy.

Some exceptions MAY be made on a case-by-case basis, in the interest of the prisoners themselves, but in practice and precedent this is applied VERY restrictively. Ergo, Governor Ritter’s proposal to bring detainees from Guantanamo en masse to Colorado’s civilian SuperMax prison would in fact violate international law and our treaty obligations.

PS - The non-functioning link correctly pointed out by Bill in the original post has now been corrected. We apologize for the typo. The link goes to the Yale University Law Library’s “Avalon Project” – a superb resource and reference for documents on international law.

CAIR cut off, but will it last?

The FBI has severed relations with CAIR, the dishonest and slippery Council for American Islamic Relations. For this we give thanks. But it’s one down, and several dozens of “moderate” Islamic front groups to go. For background, here's an IBD editorial. Now let's all write our representatives to encourage them NOT to talk to CAIR! Emphasize they are NOT a “civil rights group” that represents a religious minority persecuted by “Islamophobes”. Point out that CAIR is a front group for the Muslim Brotherhood who has vowed to destroy our civilization and our freedoms.

The reason this is important: CAIR will try to “end-run” FBI officials and apply pressure to members of the FBI’s Congressional oversight committee. This is where we can help. I implore you to join me in doing so. Only large numbers of cards, letters, e-mails and faxes can counteract the large sums of Islamic petro-dollar lobby money.

I would also recommend you retain the contact information for your Senators and Congress persons, because we will be needing them often in the Obama era that's now underway.

UPDATE: Since the above was written, it appears the CAIR end run is already starting. Virginia Congressman Frank Wolf is pushing the FBI not to cave in under the new administration. Steve Emerson and the Investigative Project on Terrorism have the story.