Heads up: This Monday there’s an article coming out in Newsday about Ben’s civil case against the U.S. government. The government is arguing that the suit “violates” a settlement they reached with other plaintiffs.
“No, you can’t sue me for a slip and fall in my store. That would be a violation because another person fell in my store and we’ve already settled.”
(I thought I could make it sound more ridiculous.)
They also think that they did nothing wrong and owe Mr. Benatta nothing for their crimes against him. Why? Because, according to them, they had an “unprecedented” task, having to face the events of 9/11. Meaning, I suppose, “we’re not experienced” or maybe “this has never happened before”.
That’s actually misleading. First, it’s not true, we have faced threats and attacks in this country before so they DO know how they’re supposed to behave.
Second, rules of law that they violated were custom-made for times like these! For times of violence and confusion!
It’s like purposely violating every item on a tsunami safety tips sheet because there’s a tsunami coming. Or using the fact that there’s a tsunami coming to disregard and violate every safety measure on the list.
What was it, particularly, about their task that made it so difficult to avoid keeping a man imprisoned for years after the FBI exonerated him? What was it, about their task that made it necessary to torture him?
I can’t say it any better than U.S. Federal Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder Jr. did, when he demanded Ben’s release because he had been “undeniably deprived of his liberty”: it’s a “sham” that “borders on ridiculousness”.
Talk about precedence.
“It is going to be a long battle, but as I told my U.S. lawyer, I want John Ashcroft to answer for his actions. And I won’t give up until those responsible are held accountable…” —Benamar
What they did and are doing… a more ignoble thing I can not find.
Let us all hope that the judge rules with wisdom.
