McCain Gets His Hamdan Facts Wrong, Falsely Claims He Was Found Guilty Of ‘Supplying Weapons’ In Afghanistan
McCain Gets His Hamdan Facts Wrong, Falsely Claims He Was Found Guilty Of ‘Supplying Weapons’ In Afghanistan
On Wednesday, a military jury at Guantanamo Bay found Osama bin Laden’s former driver, Salim Hamdan, guilty of material support for terrorism in the first “contested” U.S. military war crimes trial since World War II. Hamdan was acquitted of other charges against him, including conspiracy to commit terrorist attacks.
Responding to the decision, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) released a statement welcoming the guilty verdict:
The jury found that the prosecution lawyers had proven, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Hamdan had aided terrorists by supplying weapons to Al Qaeda and Taliban forces in Afghanistan. This process demonstrated that military commissions can effectively bring very dangerous terrorists to justice. The fact that the jury did not find Hamdan guilty of all of the charges brought against him demonstrates that the jury weighed the evidence carefully.
But McCain has his facts wrong when he claims Hamdan was found guilty of “supplying weapons to al Qaeda and Taliban forces in Afghanistan.” Though Hamdan was in possession of two shoulder-launched missiles when he was captured in Afghanistan, “the jury found him innocent of carrying the missiles as part of a conspiracy to kill U.S. soldiers.” The AP writes:
While being convicted of supporting terrorism, Hamdan was acquitted of providing missiles to al-Qaida and knowing his work would be used for terrorism. He also was cleared of being part of al-Qaida’s conspiracy to attack the United States — the most serious charges he faced.
Former Justice Department lawyer Marty Lederman notes that “in theory” supplying weapons “could have been the basis for the guilty verdict” on material support. But, he writes, “it is fairly plain” from the acquittals on the specific weapons charges that “the basis for the verdict of guilt was Hamdan’s conduct as driver and body guard, not his supplying of any weapons to al Qaeda and the Taliban.”
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62 Responses to “McCain Gets His Hamdan Facts Wrong, Falsely Claims He Was Found Guilty Of ‘Supplying Weapons’ In Afghanistan”
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Wingnuts better be praying he starts his Haloperidol soon...
August 8th, 2008 at 11:32 amI heard that Hamdan once failed to come to a complete stop at a stop sign. And drove without his hands in the recommended 10-and-2 position.
Thank goodness this menace to society will be in GTMO indefinitely.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:33 amWell, we wouldn't want a Presidential candidate who actually checked his facts before he used something to try and score political points, now would we?
August 8th, 2008 at 11:33 amAt this point, it is QUITE clear that McSame is nothing but another repugnican LIAR.
The only other alternative is that he is completely stupid. So many mistakes either reflect such a PROFOUND incompetence that he should not be trusted to run a kindergarten.
But I think he is not. He is a liar, plain and simple. He repeats the lies about offshore drilling--and the media will AGAIN give this stinking miserable suckup a pass YET AGAIN.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:33 amBy three o'clock this afternoon, the established right-wing talking point will be:
"Hamdan was supplying weapons to al Qaeada."
August 8th, 2008 at 11:34 amHamdan Verdict: Six Mos plus time served...
I know, he'll be held in perpetuity as an 'enemy/unlawful combatant'...
But the verdict itself was the Professional part of the Military stickiung a shit-encrusted thumb in the eye of the "political" military.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:34 amSheesh
Watching this old fool spew out nonsensical crap after 8 tortuous years of the biggest clod on the planet embarrasss this country would make even Mary Poppins consider suicide.......
August 8th, 2008 at 11:35 amThose darn MENSA people : McLoser and The Faux News Staff!
August 8th, 2008 at 11:36 amGod he's stupid. Which of course means he'll win because he is definitely one of the people here in this great land of intellectuals.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:37 amNo doubt corporate media will either:
Ignore this.
Label it "McCain being McCain", whatever the hell that means
Graciously give him the benefit of the doubt and claim he "misspoke"
Continue to call Obama arrogant . . .
August 8th, 2008 at 11:37 amMcCain is also in violation of the Military Code of Conduct.
http://www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnmccain.com/cin_declassified_landing.htm
If not for his old man, he would have been court-martialed and given a dis-honorable discharge.
What a pathetic, un-American traitor.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:38 amActually, it was Ronnie Ray-gun that supplied weapons to the Afghans.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:38 amWouldn't it be easier just to talk about the things McCain gets right?
http://progressiveworldreview.com
August 8th, 2008 at 11:39 amDNFP; good one!
:-)
August 8th, 2008 at 11:39 amMCMetal Says:
McDumba$$ is on par to "out-stupid" the Dumbya at this point.
HECKUVA JOB, MCSENILE!
August 8th, 2008 at 11:39 amActually, it was Ronnie Ray-gun that supplied weapons to the Afghans.
Well, Hamden does rhyme with Reagan.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:40 amHe wants Ronald Reagan's third term.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:40 amDieNowForPeace Says:
Well, Hamden does rhyme with Reagan.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:40 am
______
Well, not really. Hamdan ends with a long "a" sound, whereas Reagan ends with a schwa.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:42 amMcSenile makes the Chimp look like Einstein...
August 8th, 2008 at 11:43 amWhen his tools were taken out of his truck, my insane Republican brother blamed the Mexicans who were working on a construction project nearby. It HAD to be the Mexicans. Period. End of discussion.
It's just how theses Cons think. And it's why we need to stop electing them to positions of authority.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:43 amSo, Themis, is this a gaffe or is it an attempt to make this conviction sound like a bigger victory in the War on Terror™?
August 8th, 2008 at 11:44 amHamdan ends with a long “a” sound, whereas Reagan ends with a schwa.
True, but not when McNumbnuts says them.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:45 amHamdan was supplying weapons to al Qaeda and Taliban forces in Afghanistan by way of what ?
Enterprise ?
Hertz ?
August 8th, 2008 at 11:49 amhussein toasterhead Says:
Hamdan ends with a long “a” sound, whereas Reagan ends with a schwa.
Actually, Reagan ends with Alzheimer's.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:51 am"very dangerous terrorists" ... yeah they found him guilty of driving a bad guy around. and he admitted to it. As someone said on my tv last night:
By this logic, Bin Laden's dermatologist is also a 'very dangerous terrorists'.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:51 amGive the old boy a break. He was in a deli, and the "weapon" was a pickle, and the "hamdan" was a ham sandwich and an expletive.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:56 ambob hussein lablah Says:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
hussein toasterhead Says:
Hamdan ends with a long “a” sound, whereas Reagan ends with a schwa.
Actually, Reagan ends with Alzheimer’s.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Actually , it ended like the last few GOP presidencies have .....With lots of criminal activity
August 8th, 2008 at 11:58 amMcCain is a total moron, and only a total moron would vote for him. Just like the last guy.
August 8th, 2008 at 12:04 pmHamdan was ferrying those weapons across the Iraq/Pakistan border. Hang him!
Cheers,
August 8th, 2008 at 12:05 pmI got it!
He's Mr. Magoo (McGoo) re-animated.
August 8th, 2008 at 12:05 pmPaul asked if it wouldn't be easier for us o talk about the things Mcpimp gets right but that would leave us talking about nothing! And that isn't so fun!
August 8th, 2008 at 12:06 pmMy friends, do you really want sqzi, umm, shpol, I mean 4oreign,
ummm, $4 gas?
August 8th, 2008 at 12:07 pmMcStain gets his facts wrong?
No one could have predicted! Not even his running mate, Condi Rice!
August 8th, 2008 at 12:11 pmJust another day in McCain's strange little world...
http://www.political-buzz.com/
August 8th, 2008 at 12:14 pmWhat a loser, this is all the REICH has.....to f**king bad!!!!
August 8th, 2008 at 12:15 pmWhat can one expect ? This is a mature man who got into a battle of wits with Paris Hilton and lost badly
August 8th, 2008 at 12:24 pmOT, slightly: IS C&L down? I can't access it...
August 8th, 2008 at 12:27 pmOk, get away from the trivial stuff. The real problems with McCain is that he insists that Hamdam was captured on the field of battle and was a danger to the US. Counter it with his being caught at a border check point, being a rather pathetic person and the slap in the face to Bush with essentially a 5 month sentence. MOCK, MOCK, MOCK THE FEAR DEMONSTRATED BY THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION OF THIS MOST DANGEROUS BORG.
August 8th, 2008 at 12:35 pmC'mon people, you can't really expect McCain to be up to date on current events.
After all, he is still busy trying to find Tchekoslovakia in his map of Europe.
Give he man a break.
August 8th, 2008 at 12:36 pmI am still unclear how it is that the US has a right to snatch someone out of a foreign country and charge them with a violation of US LAW. Driving Bin Laden wasn't illegal IN AFGANISTAN. Providing "material support" wasn't illegal in the country the support was performed in- how is it that the US has the right to subject foreign citizens to prosecution for violations of purely US law?
August 8th, 2008 at 12:47 pmDidn't we just basically convict a man for not quitting a job that he needed to feed his family? In a foreign country?
PS- I love that Hamdan's sentence was so finely calculated as to end when Bush gets out of office.
August 8th, 2008 at 12:49 pmCan McSame get ANYTHING right?
August 8th, 2008 at 12:58 pmThemis, we're not interested in the so-called "transcript" of your arrest in the park last night.
Thanks anyway.
August 8th, 2008 at 1:09 pmMcBorg, JMOHR?
I like it...I can see that metal tube coming out of his cheek...
August 8th, 2008 at 1:10 pmPS- I love that Hamdan’s sentence was so finely calculated as to end when Bush gets out of office.
It's okay, there is no statute of limitations on violations of the Geneva Conventions.
August 8th, 2008 at 1:14 pmI can't hardly wait for the debates!
August 8th, 2008 at 1:20 pmGOP are proud of their ignorance.
August 8th, 2008 at 1:32 pmBush's driver should be hauled off to GITMO aqnd tortured for 5 years.
August 8th, 2008 at 1:37 pmDon't expect the "Straight Talk Express" Maverick to have his facts straight!
August 8th, 2008 at 1:47 pmI think the more appropriate animal metaphor in 2008 is "Stray Talk Express."
August 8th, 2008 at 2:46 pmconniptionfit@40
Because of all the money and resources used not to mentioned taking our rights away all they got was a driver, not the driver of Usama bin Laden.
It's equivalent of saying I went to Paris and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.
Good thing mcchimpy knows his foreign affairs.
August 8th, 2008 at 3:12 pmDamn mcchimpy is getting worse by the day. Here he goes, he's going to debate himself again.
August 8th, 2008 at 3:18 pmThis man, God love him, is simply not fit to be president.
August 8th, 2008 at 3:27 pmMcCain will be in Northwest Arkansas today around 5 pm for anyone who wants to hear his lies in person...
August 8th, 2008 at 3:53 pmAndrew Sullivan in his Daily Dish writes this - "McCain clearly falls in the population susceptible to this: not Alzheimer's, but less pronounced cognitive impairment, described thus: Some older people may have mild cognitive problems without meeting criteria for dementia. Mild cognitive impairment might affect attention, language, judgment, memory, reading or writing. It may be noticeable to the individual or to other people, but it does not severely impair activities of daily living. Few studies examine the frequency and course of mild cognitive impairment in older adults. But could it affect decision-making in highly complex areas where answers require strong mental skills and swift assimilation of new facts. Under the pressure of a campaign or public office, this is not easy. Running a war with potential terror strikes imminent may be not a time when you hope your president isn't having an off-day and a little confused - Shites? Sunni? Which are the bad guys? Few doubt that Reagan suffered some mental decline in office - though not into subsequent Alzheimer's till after office.
It seems to me a legitimate and not too rude a subject to bring up in the campaign. Here's an open challenge: craft an ad that legitimately and fairly raises the issue of whether he is too old to lead; and one less high-minded one that strings clips of gaffes, stumbles, mental blocks in public, and mistakes to make the guy seem like Abraham Simpson on a bad day. Put 'YouTub ad contest' in the contents line."
August 8th, 2008 at 4:13 pmIt seems that Wllke has even stopped making excuses for mcsame.
August 8th, 2008 at 4:37 pmOh well, according to right winger philosophy, facts are stupid things anyway
tony and lido
McCain will be in Northwest Arkansas today around 5 pm for anyone who wants to hear his lies in person…
I'd rather eat shit.
August 8th, 2008 at 6:14 pmWhat else would you expect from McMoron?
August 8th, 2008 at 7:10 pmI heard that Hamdan personally called the citizens of the US boogerheads and he also said that George Bush a bit creepy. I say FRY the bastard!!! That'll learn them Ethipians to respect us.
August 8th, 2008 at 10:52 pmMany of McCain's gaffes are not just random errors. For example, calling Iraqi Shiite extremists al-Qaida (Sunnis) plays into the big lie that attacking Iraq had something to do with 9/11. Only question is whether he believed it and can't learn otherwise or whether he's trying to reinforce the lie. Either way, great president, huh?
August 10th, 2008 at 11:21 pmThemis Says:
Not snark TheMiss abject stupidity. You should learn to tell the difference
August 11th, 2008 at 4:36 amGoodness, what hatred out for this man (not Hamdan, McCain) I think bin Laden's guy should be set free absolutely --- he was one of the good guys, just in the wrong place at the wrong time. As for the senator, he oughta be sent back to Hanoi Hilton for that mis-statement!
You people are good at name-calling, put your money where your mouth is.
August 11th, 2008 at 9:05 am