Minister van Justitie (VS) haalt uit naar critici by christophe Sunday December 09, 2001 at 01:18 AM |
De VS minister van Justitie Ashcroft haalt uit naar critici: "Wie zegt dat wij vrijheden beperken, helpt de vijand." Daar komt zijn verdediging op neer.
Ashcroft: Critics of new terror measures undermine effort
WASHINGTON (CNN) --Attorney General John Ashcroft lashed out Thursday at critics of the administration's response to terrorism, saying questions about whether its actions undermine the Constitution only serve to help terrorists.
"To those who pit Americans against immigrants, citizens against non-citizens, to those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this: Your tactics only aid terrorists for they erode our national unity and diminish our resolve," Ashcroft told the Senate Judiciary Committee. "They give ammunition to America's enemies and pause to America's friends. They encourage people of good will to remain silent in the face of evil.
"Our efforts have been crafted carefully to avoid infringing on constitutional rights, while saving American lives."
Ashcroft flatly rejected criticism of the administration's policies, including President Bush's decision to allow the use of military tribunals to try non-U.S. citizens suspected of terrorism, the detention of hundreds of immigrants in connection with the terrorism probe, the "voluntary" questioning of thousands of men from mostly Middle Eastern countries, and eavesdropping between attorneys and their clients in terrorism cases.