Dean: Statement on Arab and Muslim Civil Rights Abuses

[dajabr]

Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean issued the following statement on the forthcoming Inspector General’s report documenting abuse of Arabs and Muslims detained under the Patriot Act:

“For the second time in recent weeks, the Justice Department Inspector General will be reporting serious abuses of the civil rights of Arabs and Muslims in the war on terror. These abuses are wrong and must stop immediately.

“I am appalled by allegations – which the Inspector General has deemed credible – that Department of Justice employees have, among other things, beaten Muslim and Arab detainees.

“This should not happen in America.

“The Inspector General’s report confirms my fear that we have unnecessarily compromised constitutional freedoms in the name of fighting terrorism. The ongoing abuses alienate the community whose cooperation we need most and diminish our moral credibility in the eyes of the world. The rule of law and due process must continue to be the hallmarks of our judicial system.

“I urge Congress to reconsider aspects of the Patriot Act and other anti-terror tactics that lead to such abuses.

“The government must protect Americans against terrorism while protecting basic civil liberties every step of the way.”

http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000737.html

[gottaB]

1. What a fascinating campaign.

Is this Dean's harshest criticism of PATRIOT to date? I find it heartening.

Left, right, center, I can't figure Dean out. And I'm always reassessing him. Sure like what he's been doing lately.

What a fascinating campaign.

[w13rd0]

2. Like most people...

...Dean is hard to pin down on a rather simple minded line of left to right. Most people hold a grab bag of views, from right, left, up, down, forward & backward. Failure to understand modern politics in terms that are more than one-dimensional will be the Achilles heel for most opposition...

[dajabr]

3. Two labels that fit...

Leader

President

[Larkspur]

4. Yep, that's how I see Dean

He wants to govern this nation well, not govern based upon ideology or political payback.