Homeland Security front: Padilla gets 17 years

(The Patriot Post) - Convicted al-Qa’ida conspirator Jose Padilla (a.k.a. Abdullah al Muhajir) was sentenced this week to 17 years in prison. The Associated Press headline read, “17 Years for Ex-’Dirty Bomb’ Suspect.” That led The Wall Street Journal’s James Taranto to ask, “So what, it’s a crime to have once been suspected of something?” He continues, “Oh, by the way, what exactly was it that Padilla was convicted for? The AP finally gets around to telling us in the fifth paragraph.” Here is the AP’s account: “Padilla, 37, and co-defendants Adham Amin Hassoun, 45, and Kifah Wael Jayyousi, 46, were convicted in August of terrorism conspiracy and material support after a three-month trial. Jurors concluded they were part of a support cell that sent recruits, money and supplies to Islamic extremists worldwide, including al-Qaida.”

As we noted in August, Padilla’s arrest and, in particular, his detention as an “enemy combatant” rather than a criminal (he is a U.S. citizen and Chicago native) sparked outrage among leftists who decried the “violation” of his civil rights. He became the poster child, as it were, for the debate over classification of terrorists. The AP’s “reporting” only highlights the problem.