Military Trials OKd for Terror Cases

Re “Bush to Allow Terror Trials by Military,” Nov. 14: Opposition to President Bush’s order permitting non-U.S. citizens to be tried for terrorist acts before a military tribunal is misguided. It worked when the Nazi saboteurs were tried, convicted and sentenced, and, using similar procedures, it will work when Al Qaeda and Taliban war criminals are tried.

The most compelling justification for the president’s order is that it protects the sources and methods used by intelligence agencies to obtain the evidence needed for conviction. Almost every time a U.S. citizen is indicted in U.S. federal court on charges of spying for foreign agents, defense attorneys threaten to demand access to sensitive information that would compromise sources and methods. This threat forces the Justice Department to accept a much too generous plea bargain. A military tribunal would prevent that from happening.

Dan Emory

Newport Beach

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Bush signed an order to allow “special military tribunals to try foreigners charged with terrorism.” As a teacher of American history, this reminded me of a similar action many years ago. In 1764, cases involving violation of British laws such as the Sugar Act were shifted from civilian courts where citizens enjoyed the rights of jury trial to Admiralty Courts (military courts) where the verdict was by the judge alone.

This action by the British government was one of the chief grievances of the patriots that ultimately led to the American Revolution. I believe that sometimes our enthusiasm gets in the way of our good sense.

Thomas R. Tefft

Idyllwild