Mar

7

Should Adam Gadahn be put to death for treason?

So American-born Al Qaeda member Adam Gadahn has been caught by Pakistani authorities. He was indicted in the United States a few years back for treason — the first time that charge had been brought against any American citizen in a half-century.

The treason charge, of course, carries with it the possible penalty of death. But does Gadahn deserve the death penalty? Here’s what he’s been up to, according to AP:

He moved to Pakistan in 1998, according to the FBI, and is said to have attended an al-Qaida training camp six years later, serving as a translator and consultant. He has been wanted by the FBI since 2004, and there is a $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction.

His most recent video was posted Sunday, praising the U.S. Army major charged with killing 13 people in Fort Hood, Texas, as a role model for other Muslims. The video released Sunday appeared to have been made after the end of the year, but it was unclear exactly when.

Al-Qaida has used Gadahn as its chief English-speaking spokesman. In one video, he ceremoniously tore up his American passport. In another, he admitted his grandfather was Jewish, ridiculing him for his beliefs and calling for Palestinians to continue fighting Israel.

More information will, no doubt, come to light. But at first blush it appears that Gadahn has certainly given aid and comfort to American enemies determined to inflict death and violence on the United States. He certainly appears to be — pending the resolution of charges against him — a traitor.

But the death penalty? I can’t buy that.

I’ve got my own biases against the death penalty, it’s true. Even discounting for that, though, there’s a principle that guides much of American death penalty law these days and it’s this: A life for a life. We don’t kill thieves or burglars or even rapists anymore — we used to — because there’s a recognition that the punishment should be proportionate to the crime. Killing somebody who didn’t kill is recognized, generally, to be out of bounds.

And though we might find out differently soon enough, I’ve seen no assertions that Gadahn has ever killed or tried to kill another American. What he’s done, mostly, is make videos and say some truly horrendous things. But we don’t kill people for that, do we?

If it’s up to me, we give him the old “Man Without A Country” sentence — stick him in solitary confinement at sea for the rest of his life, cut off from the pleasures of any kind of homeland. He made his choice, and we can punish him by forcing him to live with it. Martyring Adam Gadahn, though, serves no end except sating our anger. That’s not a good reason to kill anyone — not even someone as wretched as Gadahn.

Joel Mathis | 4:03 PM | 5 Comments

Uncategorized, 9/11, adam gadahn, al qaeda, death penalty, terrorism

Al Qaeda American Spokesman Abu Yahya Mujahdeen Al- Adam Arrested by Pakistan Intelligence Officers | The Moderate Voice Says: Mar 7 4:58 PM

[...] –Cup of Joel: So American-born Al Qaeda member Adam Gadahn has been caught by Pakistani authorities. He was indicted in the United States a few years back for treason — the first time that charge had been brought against any American citizen in a half-century. [...]
Jason Says: Mar 7 6:14 PM

As one who is generally opposed to the death penalty, I say…Yes, put him to death.
InfidelMaximus Says: Mar 7 8:12 PM

A great day for infidels around the world. I just hope that Gadahn is not executed and become a martyr for the Muslim world. Let’s just put him in prison and let him rot.
Samir S. Halaby Says: Mar 8 8:08 AM

I believe that Adam Gadahn after being tried and if found guilty should most certainly be given the death penalty for heinous crime treason against all the American people aswell as all decent peace loving people of the world. These fanatical islamofacists must understand that their behaviour will never be tollerated in a free world. I also consider his father partly to be blamed as he disinherited is jewish faith whereby his son Adam had absolutely no guidelines whatsoever to follow, his mother was also a lapsed catholic so he couldn’t take any instruction from her inso- far as leading a righteous life following the Judeo-Christian trail. What he doesn’t comprehend is that even if there wouldn’t exist ‘A State of Israel’ today, the majority of islamic teachings is that only muslims have a true G-d and all other religions have to take a back seat. Christians & Jews were always condidered as existing in a ‘Dhimmi’ status in the arab and islamic world, ie 2nd-3rd class citizens, they also had to pay a ‘Jizya’ a tax which was applicable for non muslims in order to continue to practice their religions without being forced to convert to islam. To this day Christians are still victimised, abused murdered in arab and other muslim lands such as Africa etc. The few remaing hundreds of jews in the yemen are now fleeing persecution and the threat of murder unless they convert to islam, only last year around july 2009 a jewish teacher was murdered ‘Moshe Nahari’ the reason was he was warned by an arab either convert or die, well he didn’t and that was the consequence. I Muslims can pray in freedom in the west it should only therefore be the right of Christians to do the same in any arab or islamic lands. That doesn’t seem to be the case today, therefore until such times when that will become a reality and not a hinderance, all mosques in the west should be shut down.
Keith Says: Mar 8 10:20 AM

Don’t hang your traitors before they’re captured.