Al Quaeda Application Forms?

Cue Rod Serling and that Twilight Zone theme song.




Imagine, if you will, the surprised attorney defending accused American citizen, José Padilla, when he learns that prosecutors have what they claim is his client's "Al Quaeda application form."

The only thing possibly weirder than that would be... oh, say... authorities just happening to stumble upon the passport of one of the 9/11 terrorists buried in the rubble.

We found Padilla's al Qaeda application, U.S. says
Prosecutors said the U.S. government discovered alleged terrorist José Padilla's written application to join al Qaeda.

BY JAY WEAVER
jweaver@MiamiHerald.com

After the U.S. military invaded Afghanistan to oust its Taliban rulers, authorities found a locker full of applications to join al Qaeda's holy war overseas.

Among the alleged applicants: José Padilla, the former ''enemy combatant'' who once lived in Broward County.

Applications?

Al Quaeda had an HR department?

Where did this "evidence" come from?

(Justice Department lawyer Stephanie) Pell said Padilla's July 24, 2000, application was authenticated by a ''cooperating government witness'' convicted in an unrelated case who had once filled out the same Arabic ''mujahadeen data form.'' She said Padilla's date of birth, Oct. 18, 1970, was on his application along with his adopted Muslim name, Abu Abdullah Al Mujahir.

What's a defense attorney to do?

Padilla's attorney, Michael Caruso, questioned the authenticity of Padilla's alleged mujahadeen application, saying there was ''no direct evidence'' he filled out the form.

He asked (judge) Garber three times if he could call an FBI agent to the witness stand to ask about the document. Garber rejected his requests.

Why did the judge reject such a simple request?

Because he could, of course. Because there's no fear of the decision in this case being overturned at a future date by any politically-savvy judge.

Meanwhile, our long national dependence on evidence and credible witnesses is finally over. All hail our new & improved Kafkaesque courts, brought to you by BushCo, Inc.!

File this under: There's a sign post up ahead. Your next stop...