Encep Nurjaman, known as “Hambali,” is suspected of being
Al-Qaida’s chief of operations for Southeast Asia. He is described as an
“operational mastermind” of Jemaah Islamiyah, the militant group responsible
for bombing a Bali nightclub in 2012. The attack killed more than 200 people.
Nurjaman
recently appeared before a Guantanamo Bay review board, his first public
appearance since his transfer to “Gitmo” nearly a decade ago. The review board
process gives prisoners a chance to argue for their release. The move is in
keeping with president Obama’s desire to shutter the base by the end of his
term, now just five months away.
By
contrast, Darren Sharper, a former NFL star, has just been sentenced to 18
years in prison for serially “date-raping” a number of women over the course of
several years. It is my opinion that he richly deserves the “harsh” sentence, and must be held accountable for his
abhorrent actions. That said, are we to let a terrorist leader- one responsible
for the deaths of hundreds of
innocent men, women and children- go free after spending a much shorter time incarcerated?
Consider
this: the U.S. government’s own statement, read at the hearing, characterized
Hambali as a continuing security threat, calling him “steadfast in his support
for extremist causes and his hatred for the U.S.,” and stating that, “He most
likely would look for ways to reconnect with his Indonesian and Malaysian
cohorts or attract a new set of followers” if he were released from Guantanamo.
President
Obama?
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