Republicans And Democrats On Bowling Green City Commission Play Politics With Case Of Al-Qaeda Iraqi Terrorists, Waad Ramadan Alwan And Mohanad Shareef Hammadi. What A Crying SHAME!
Resolution against BG trials fails
Mayor Denning, Commissioners Nash and Waltrip vote no on measure opposing prosecution in city
By ANDREW ROBINSON
The Bowling Green Board of Commissioners voted down a resolution Tuesday night that would have asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and the U.S. Department of Justice to consider moving the trial of two terrorism suspects arrested in Bowling Green.
Mayor Joe Denning and Commissioners Brian “Slim” Nash and Bill Waltrip voted no.
Waad Ramadan Alwan, 30, and Mohanad Shareef Hammadi, 23, were arrested May 25 in Bowling Green. A federal grand jury returned a 23-count indictment against the men May 26. Both men entered the country legally as Iraqi refugees, receiving publicly funded housing assistance and health care.
Denning said he had originally planned to vote for the resolution, but after hearing comments during the meeting, he changed his mind.
“We are legislators here as city commissioners and we understand the process to move the trial to some other location should be left up to the judicial system and not the city of Bowling Green,” Denning said after the meeting.
Denning said he agreed with comments made by both Waltrip and Nash.
“One of the issues paramount to my decision is the idea that the judicial system is the system that needs to make the decision where the trial is held,” Waltrip said. “If the judicial system has a change of venue as a part of that court system, then it wouldn’t hurt my feelings.”
Nash echoed those comments.
“I surely would never want the federal government to appear in front of this commission in person or in writing telling us what we should be doing on any particular issue that is in our purview,” Nash said.
All three said they agreed with the part of the resolution that asked the Justice Department to reimburse the city for costs incurred during a trial.
Commissioner Bruce Wilkerson voted for the resolution and said he believed numerous streets would be blocked off around downtown, causing a “considerable disruption of daily life in downtown Bowling Green.”
Commissioner Melinda Hill was the author of the resolution.
“First of all as a federal taxpayer, I believe we have a right to speak up and say, ‘We do not want this in our city,’ ” Hill said. “It’s hard for me to give these men the same rights as U.S. citizens.”
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has been steadfast in his opinion that the trials of the two men should be moved to a military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He also released a statement after the commission’s vote.
“The mere fact that the Bowling Green City (Commission) is forced to grapple with what to do with Iraqi enemy combatants who attacked American troops thousands of miles away underscores the absurdity of this Administration’s terrorist detention policy,” McConnell said in a statement provided to the Daily News this morning.
Richard Thomas, a Bowling Green resident who lives four blocks from the courthouse, said he wants to see a trial held in Bowling Green.
“You pledged allegiance to the republic before the meeting started and that means you pledged to the U.S. Constitution,” Thomas said.
Thomas reminded the commission that the Constitution states that every person in the country has the right to a trial by jury.
“If you’re going to do this resolution, you need to rescind your pledge to the allegiance,” Thomas said. “If you’re going up against the U.S. Constitution, you’re treading on a slippery slope.”
Western Kentucky University journalism professor Paula Quinn also spoke in favor of having a trial in Bowling Green because she believes there are a number of unanswered questions to which Bowling Green residents deserve answers. She said she believed if the trial were moved, then those answers would never be known, including how the two men received public assistance.
Before voting on the resolution, the commission also heard several comments from concerned citizens about fireworks following the Fourth of July.
The use of fireworks in the city was legal for the first time this year.
Julie Ellis came to the meeting armed with a 100-foot surveyors tape and said she believes there are few places in the city where fireworks can safely be used at least 200 feet away from a building.
Larry Fiehn asked the commission to look at the ordinance again.
“Just because Kentucky allows it doesn’t mean that Bowling Green has to allow it,” Fiehn said. “There are some things being fired off in the city limits that are unhealthy and dangerous.”
Officer Ronnie Ward, spokesman for the Bowling Green Police Department, told the Daily News on Tuesday that the BGPD responded to 147 calls for service Friday through Monday, compared with 80 calls for service the same time period last year.
Denning acknowledged the need to look at the ordinance again, and the commission agreed to discuss it at a work session before the commission’s meeting July 19.
Mayor Denning, Commissioners Nash and Waltrip vote no on measure opposing prosecution in city
By ANDREW ROBINSON
The Bowling Green Board of Commissioners voted down a resolution Tuesday night that would have asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and the U.S. Department of Justice to consider moving the trial of two terrorism suspects arrested in Bowling Green.
Mayor Joe Denning and Commissioners Brian “Slim” Nash and Bill Waltrip voted no.
Waad Ramadan Alwan, 30, and Mohanad Shareef Hammadi, 23, were arrested May 25 in Bowling Green. A federal grand jury returned a 23-count indictment against the men May 26. Both men entered the country legally as Iraqi refugees, receiving publicly funded housing assistance and health care.
Denning said he had originally planned to vote for the resolution, but after hearing comments during the meeting, he changed his mind.
“We are legislators here as city commissioners and we understand the process to move the trial to some other location should be left up to the judicial system and not the city of Bowling Green,” Denning said after the meeting.
Denning said he agreed with comments made by both Waltrip and Nash.
“One of the issues paramount to my decision is the idea that the judicial system is the system that needs to make the decision where the trial is held,” Waltrip said. “If the judicial system has a change of venue as a part of that court system, then it wouldn’t hurt my feelings.”
Nash echoed those comments.
“I surely would never want the federal government to appear in front of this commission in person or in writing telling us what we should be doing on any particular issue that is in our purview,” Nash said.
All three said they agreed with the part of the resolution that asked the Justice Department to reimburse the city for costs incurred during a trial.
Commissioner Bruce Wilkerson voted for the resolution and said he believed numerous streets would be blocked off around downtown, causing a “considerable disruption of daily life in downtown Bowling Green.”
Commissioner Melinda Hill was the author of the resolution.
“First of all as a federal taxpayer, I believe we have a right to speak up and say, ‘We do not want this in our city,’ ” Hill said. “It’s hard for me to give these men the same rights as U.S. citizens.”
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has been steadfast in his opinion that the trials of the two men should be moved to a military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He also released a statement after the commission’s vote.
“The mere fact that the Bowling Green City (Commission) is forced to grapple with what to do with Iraqi enemy combatants who attacked American troops thousands of miles away underscores the absurdity of this Administration’s terrorist detention policy,” McConnell said in a statement provided to the Daily News this morning.
Richard Thomas, a Bowling Green resident who lives four blocks from the courthouse, said he wants to see a trial held in Bowling Green.
“You pledged allegiance to the republic before the meeting started and that means you pledged to the U.S. Constitution,” Thomas said.
Thomas reminded the commission that the Constitution states that every person in the country has the right to a trial by jury.
“If you’re going to do this resolution, you need to rescind your pledge to the allegiance,” Thomas said. “If you’re going up against the U.S. Constitution, you’re treading on a slippery slope.”
Western Kentucky University journalism professor Paula Quinn also spoke in favor of having a trial in Bowling Green because she believes there are a number of unanswered questions to which Bowling Green residents deserve answers. She said she believed if the trial were moved, then those answers would never be known, including how the two men received public assistance.
Before voting on the resolution, the commission also heard several comments from concerned citizens about fireworks following the Fourth of July.
The use of fireworks in the city was legal for the first time this year.
Julie Ellis came to the meeting armed with a 100-foot surveyors tape and said she believes there are few places in the city where fireworks can safely be used at least 200 feet away from a building.
Larry Fiehn asked the commission to look at the ordinance again.
“Just because Kentucky allows it doesn’t mean that Bowling Green has to allow it,” Fiehn said. “There are some things being fired off in the city limits that are unhealthy and dangerous.”
Officer Ronnie Ward, spokesman for the Bowling Green Police Department, told the Daily News on Tuesday that the BGPD responded to 147 calls for service Friday through Monday, compared with 80 calls for service the same time period last year.
Denning acknowledged the need to look at the ordinance again, and the commission agreed to discuss it at a work session before the commission’s meeting July 19.
Labels: Middle East, Military, Terror
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 8:58 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home