Via the White House (President Discusses Creation of Military Commissions to Try Suspected Terrorists).

In his statements today about the transfer of some high level detainees to Guantanamo, the President said the following:

We’re now approaching the five-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks — and the families of those murdered that day have waited patiently for justice. Some of the families are with us today — they should have to wait no longer. So I’m announcing today that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Abu Zubaydah, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, and 11 other terrorists in CIA custody have been transferred to the United States Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay. (Applause.) They are being held in the custody of the Department of Defense. As soon as Congress acts to authorize the military commissions I have proposed, the men our intelligence officials believe orchestrated the deaths of nearly 3,000 Americans on September the 11th, 2024, can face justice.

I will confess as to not having a clear opinion at this point on the actual policy significance of the transfers. However, as I watched the above excerpt on the news, it struck me as to what an utterly brilliant political move this is. What better way to put pressure on the Congress, and to generate public support for his military tribunal legislation than to make the 9/11 planner and the highest profile al Qaeda types we have in custody the poster children for the President’s legislative goals.

Could there be a more deft political move than to link the President’s anti-terror legislation to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and friends? One guesses that the linkages will go beyond the tribunal question to that of the NSA program and other anti-terror tools that the President is seeking. Further, all of it will be linked to the need for further GOP control of the Congress going into November.

Regardless of one’s views on the policies, the political acumen being demonstrated here is impressive. The bolded sentence above makes for the perfect soundbite. Even if there are serious reservations about the President’s plans, that soundbite will make for a powerful counter.

And understand: I say all this from a position of a serious skepticism of the President’s handling of the overall detainee problem.

It will be quite interesting to see how this all plays out.

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