Bitch Slapped

"The Supreme Court on Thursday repudiated the Bush administration's plan to put Guantanamo detainees on trial before military commissions, ruling broadly that the commissions were unauthorized by federal statute and violated international law.

" 'The executive is bound to comply with the rule of law that prevails in this jurisdiction,' Justice John Paul Stevens, writing for the 5-to-3 majority, said at the end of a 73-page opinion that in sober tones shredded each of the administration's arguments, including the assertion that Congress had stripped the court of jurisdiction to decide the case. . . .

"In an important part of the ruling, the court held that a provision of the Geneva Conventions known as Common Article 3 applies to the Guantanamo detainees and is enforceable in federal court for their protection.

"The provision requires humane treatment of captured combatants and prohibits trials except by 'a regularly constituted court affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized people.' "

The WaPo editorializes;

"It seemed almost too much to hope for, but the Supreme Court finally called George W. Bush onto the carpet yesterday and asked him the obvious question: What part of 'rule of law' do you not understand?"

There are people asking, if George Bush violated the law, and the administrations policies were bound by geneva conventions, then that makes George Bush a war criminal, doesn't it?

If I violated the law as a matter of policy, I'd sure as heck be tried for it.