Story below:

Al-Qaeda confirms fighter’s death

Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar was an Egyptian national
An internet message from al-Qaeda has apparently confirmed that the group’s top chemical-weapons expert, Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar, has died.

The al-Qaeda message did not specify the cause of his death, though he was widely reported to have been killed in an airstrike in Pakistan last week.

Taleban officials had told the BBC he died in the raid, but false reports of his death have circulated in the past.

The US, which has a $5m (£2.5m) reward on his head, has not yet responded.

It is believed that the US carried out last week’s raid over Pakistan’s South Waziristan region.

The al-Qaeda statement, dated 30 July, was posted on a website used by Islamist militants.

The message, signed by al-Qaeda’s chief in Afghanistan, Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, said Midhat Mursi was among a group of “heroes” who had joined “the caravans of martyrs”.

“An expert may have gone, but he has left behind - thanks be to God - experts whom he trained,” the statement said.

Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar, 55, also known as Abu Khabab al-Masri, was an Egyptian national.

The US government’s Rewards for Justice website described him as “an explosives expert and poisons trainer working on behalf of al-Qaeda”.

Before I get started, how are you today? I trust you are healthy and feeling well. I trust you haven’t been shot by a terrorist and no planes have crashed into the building you are safely occupying right now? No suicide bomber has rammed his van into you? Well that is good, I am happy to know that.

I believe the Supreme Court’s ruling was a mistake and does make the U.S., U.S. Service Members, and U.S. Allies and Interests less safe. I will argue my point and at the end do one better then making “a logical and factual argument” but will provide you actual EXAMPLES.

First I would argue against your use of the words “denying people fundamental legal rights”…Prior to the U.S. Supreme Court’s “unwise” 5 to 4 ruling, each detainee at GITMO already had more legal rights then any other Enemy Combatant or Prisoner of War in the history of all U.S. conflicts. The Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 made sure of even more rights. Even prior to the DTA…No existing Federal, International law or law of war was broken when it came to determining the continued detention of and the enemy combatant status of those held down at GITMO.

During continued ARMED CONFLICT it never was (nor should it be now) a requirement to charge and convict an Enemy Combatant with a crime. Having said that, I recognize the War on Terror is not a traditional war in which treaties can be signed and heads of Government can surrender/declare victory/end hostilities/turn over prisoners. So, the result is some Enemy Combatants being held for several years now and people jumping up and down about how unfair it is to keep a terrorist locked up without being charged with a crime.

Existing Combatant Status Review Tribunals and Annual Review Boards determine an individual’s enemy combatant status, whether or not the person is a threat…which in turn determines whether or not to continue detention. I’ll post more if you want to know more about this process (I’m sure you are educated and know about it already, but choose not to share it with the people you talk to on your tour). It is a very fair process, the detainees are able to participate and are appointed personal representatives to assist them. They can submit matters, etc… This is not a criminal court proceeding. The Assistance Secretary of Defense makes the final decision after reviewing the board’s determinations. ALL detainees have had a CSRT, and unless they are being charged under the Military Commissions they have annual ARBs that continue to access the threat they pose.

I’ve taken enough space, but for examples of why this decision DOES make U.S. Military and others less safe read the Justice’s Dissenting opinion (the 4 that know what they are talking about, Thomas, Scalia, Alito and Roberts)…I’ll even save you some time and post a link right to it…http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/06-1195.ZD1.html Also, research a guy named Abdullah Saleh al-Ajmi (former detainee that the Department of Defense DID NOT want to release after his CSRT and ARBs), but because he may not have been a candidate for Military Commissions…DoD was trumped and al-Ajmi was released. Guess what happens next…after he is released? He blew himself and six innocent people up (the target was Iraqi Security Police…OUR ALLIES)… So, read Justice Scalia’s discenting opinion that lists about half-a-dozen other true stories of released detainees returning to the JIHAD and that sums up my LOGICAL and FACTUAL argument.
Continued peace and blessing to you ZJ.
U.S.A. Terror Free since 9-11-2001
p.s. WE ARE AT WAR