SHOULD WE THROW THE TERRORISTS TO A MOB IN TIME SQUARE

By ROBERT WELLER

I spent several days debating with myself about what to do with the World Trade Center and Pentagon terrorists.

Let’s start here. One thing I did absorb from covering Columbine, genocide in Africa, and other atrocities, was a vow to never use the monsters’ names again, unless an editor made me. They usually did.

I am the editor here.

I also might as well get to my point now. Two wrongs do not make a right.

The terrorists who will go on trial in New York, if the trial is not moved, were tortured hundreds of times until they confessed.

What kind of heroes are these? Nelson MandelaNelson Mandela, captured by the apartheid government of South Africa after he was betrayed by the CIA, didn’t have to be tortured. He may well have claimed responsibility for more things than he did. The African National Congress did commit some acts of terror as did the government. This isn’t Disneyland.

We will never know exactly how Jean Moulin, leader of the French resistance in World War IIWorld War II, died. It is known he tried to kill himself at least twice after being captured by the Nazis. All the water-boarding in the world never made him talk. He cut his own throat and even jumped off a grand balcony.

Now, our leaders, Bush and Cheney, betrayed us by using torture to gain admissions that interrogation experts said probably could have been gained by legal means. Some trials have already been dismissed in other countries.

Of course they will say they stopped further attacks. I will believe that when Judith MillerJudith Miller shows me some WMDs.

In some cases, people suspected of being allies of terrorists were kidnapped just to get them off the street. That was a strategical move.

It could be argued that even though our legal system would be stained forever by ignoring the doctrine that began guiding our system in 1920 _ that no evidence gained illegally could be used in a trial _ it would be worth it to rid the world of these monsters. Isn’t that like the Koran saying suicide is wrong, but then excusing it when it is convenient?

This isn’t the place to talk about what led to this situation. I learned that from Army generals. Apparently it never is. So let’s assume this essentially religious war will go on.

That means we need to consider what will happen if we put on a Roman-like show and then execute these people.

I know their excuses. I have watched their wars at close hand. They use terror because they don’t have planes and tanks.

To my way of thinking these two groups, we know who are they, should settle their own problems and not involve us. Nor should we get involved.

We could defang one side by losing our addiction to oil. My gosh, then we might find ourselves protecting the other side.

I blame religion, not any one because many do fine work, for what the world has become.

Some primatologists and existentalists believe we are born good. One must ask what happens after that to turn us, not all of us, into savages? H.L. MenckenH.L. Mencken blamed God.

I don’t know what to do. If you were to say to me gather a huge crowd in a New York stadium, strip the terrorists naked and release them I wouldn’t know what to say you. Anything we do will be wrong so perhaps we should show the world we are not lambs to be taken to the slaughter.