This Is What It's Come To

How pathetic. The crux of the government's case is that Padilla allegedly filled out an application to become a terrorist? Oh wait. It was actually a "Mujahideen Data Form". LATimes (05.13.07):

"When federal prosecutors begin to present evidence Monday against terrorism suspect Jose Padilla, their case is expected to rest heavily on a single document: his alleged application to become an Islamic warrior.

The federal indictment says Padilla filled out the mujahedin data form on July 24, 2000, 'in preparation for violent jihad training in Afghanistan.'"

Padilla case has changed a lot in 5 years

The indictment also claims that this rum-dum "and two codefendants sought U.S. recruits and funding for foreign holy wars." Really effective, they were.

"Nowhere in the indictment is there mention of the sensational charges leveled against Padilla when he was arrested at O'Hare International Airport in May 2002. Then-Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft said U.S. agents had thwarted a plot between Padilla, who is a U.S. citizen, and top Al Qaeda figures to detonate a radioactive 'dirty bomb' or blow up apartment buildings in U.S. cities."

Padilla, a US citizen, "had been held at [a military brig in Charleston, S.C.] for 3 1/2 years as an 'enemy combatant' with status more like the detainees at Guantanamo than a U.S. citizen incarcerated for the charges he would eventually face in federal court. Much of the time he was without human contact, daylight, any timepiece or a mirror. He was subjected to 'stress positions' and extremes of heat, noise and light. And interrogations without an attorney present, the government has said, elicited information the Justice Department included in a widely publicized June 2004 report on Padilla's alleged contacts with Al Qaeda."

Ahhhh yes. We had a Constitution here once. Had something called a Bill of Rights in it. What a quaint little document it was!