U.S. Attorney General Defends Padilla Detention

Following a federal court ruling this week that detained “dirty bomb” suspect Jose Padilla must either be released or charged with a crime, U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales yesterday defended the Bush administration’s decision to hold Padilla without criminal charges, according to the Washington Post (see GSN, March 1).

Gonzales told lawmakers that the government has the right to hold alleged enemy combatants in the war on terrorism “for the duration of hostilities.” He also said, though, that the government “has no interest in holding someone indefinitely” and will seek to resolve the issue by filing criminal charges or other means.

U.S. Representatives Frank Wolf (R-Va.) and Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.) told Gonzales during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing that Padilla has the right to a trial.

“If I knew the war on terrorism were going to end next year, I would have no problem,” Wolf said. “But I don’t believe it’s going to end. … And so we cannot continue to keep an American citizen — this is not (Osama) bin Laden” (Dan Eggen, Washington Post, March 2).

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