Faisal Shahzad Arrest: John McCain Is Upset Times Square Bomber Was Mirandized

Law enforcement authorities in New York City, with an alacrity and a seriousness that should cheer everybody, very quickly unwrapped the mysteries of this weekend's Times Square bombing attempt and have arrested Faisal Shahzad, a United States citizen. He is now in custody.

All of which made law enforcement look like a pretty valuable and effective tool in the war against terrorism. Too valuable and effective! And that's why Senator John McCain was rousted from whatever nap he was taking to go on "Imus In the Morning" and start fearmongering about it:

It would have been a serious mistake to have read the suspect in the attempted Times Square car bombing his Miranda rights, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Tuesday.

McCain, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a longtime leading Republican on national security issues, said he expected the suspect in the case could face charges that might warrant a death sentence if convicted.

"Obviously that would be a serious mistake until all the information is gathered," McCain said during an appearance on "Imus in the Morning" when asked whether the suspect, 30-year-old Faisal Shahzad, a naturalized American citizen from Pakistan.

Poor dear! He doesn't seem to know that Mirandizing criminal suspects is something that we do here in America to criminals. Especially in instances where the goal of relevant law enforcement authorities is to make the suspect "face charges" and potentially result in a "death sentence," a process that would require a "trial" and "evidence" that doesn't get "excluded" because of the failure of authorities to Mirandize the defendant. And it is certainly something that we do to American citizens.

But McCain and his friends in Congress have been waging war against Miranda and reality for some time. Remember how worked up they got when the Christmas Crotchfire bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, was Mirandized by authorities? My, how many tiny feet were stamped over that. But authorities just kept calm, carried on and conducted a highly successful investigation:

The family of the failed Christmas Day bomber, Umar Farouq Abdulmuttalab, played a pivotal role in getting their son to start cooperating with federal authorities in sharing information about Al Qaeda, a senior administration official said Tuesday evening.

Abdulmuttalab has been cooperating with authorities and sharing intelligence since last Thursday, another administration official told ABC News.

The family was "instrumental in gaining Mr. Abdulmuttalab's cooperation," said the senior administration official. The information Abdulmuttalab is sharing has been described by other officials as fresh and actionable.

"It has been very successful," the official said, "as far as gaining his cooperation that will allow us then to follow up on that information." He said the intelligence gained "has been disseminated throughout the intelligence community."

[...]

"One of the principal reasons why his family came back is because they had complete trust in the US system of justice and believed that Umar Farouq would be treated fairly and appropriately," the senior official said. "And that they would be as well."

There seems to be this belief that once a suspect is read his Miranda rights, the spigot to actionable intelligence is turned off. But Abdulmutallab gave up information before he was read his rights and continued doing so afterwards. So, you can consider that myth disintegrated.

Of course, again, the suspect in the Times Square case is an American citizen, so not reading him his rights is something of a non-starter.

Anyway, if John McCain could just pipe down and let the grown-ups do their job, that'd be great!

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Comments

[OldBear]

08:40 PM on 05/08/2010

O! Captain Jack how far you've fallen. You are a true American hero from a war mostly forgotten. But there are a few who remember you were a beacon of honor in a time of disgrace. But your ambitions seem to have overshadowed your sense of duty and country. The very idea that you would question the very values you fought for is beyond my comprehension. No person that served in the Navy during the Vietnam War can think of you in any other terms but hero unfortunately your actions of the last few year relegate you to the status of fallen hero. I can only weep for another lost hero.

[ZeraLee]

05:28 PM on 05/06/2010

The desire to deny justice to foreign visitors is more than a little xenophobic. You only need look at Nevada to see how isolationist it can be.

[MJK NL]

01:44 PM on 05/05/2010

Reading the comments I see quite often that American citizens should have their rights. But, only American citizens? That does not make sense, the law of the land should be for everyone who is in the country.
I would hate to think that if I would ever go to the USA as a tourist that I would have no rights whatsoever from the second I get of the airplane. That any policeman who feels like it can arrest me and put me in prison for no reason and I would have no right to get a lawyer or anything.

[carl gray]

02:18 PM on 05/05/2010

Many Americans are ignorant, Their "ignorance of the law is no excuse" only applies in this court of public opinion.. It doesn't change our legal statutes. However, SOME rights are accorded only to American citizens. But most of the time in our Constitution and Bill of Rights, the people upon whom these "rights" are conferred are referred to as "person", not "citizen" and apply to all......

[EdWhite1]

01:27 PM on 05/05/2010

Too bad McCain didnt win, we'd have just tortured him right there on the aircraft until he spilled everything. Dang I miss the wonders that neo-con america could have given us instead of this silly hope filled constitutionally driven america that socialist Obama is trying to rebuild. And that's sarcasm for you sarcasm challenged.

[zlohcuc]

01:25 PM on 05/05/2010

If McCain Doesn't know that Mirandaizing criminal suspects in the US is SOP is he fit to hold an office in the US Senate? It is clear that Mr. Mc Cain is out of touch and in danger of losing his seat this fall. Why else would he choose to pander to a radical RW base on an incident that was handled expeditiously with an obviously positive outcome.

[ethearch]

01:08 PM on 05/05/2010

I shudder to think of where this country would be today if McCain and Palin been elected. We could have had a president with neither a basic knowledge of the Constitution nor a moral compass, and a totally clueless vice president.

We dodged a catastrophe.

[eeasyrider]

12:52 PM on 05/05/2010

McCain graduated 896 out of 900. Don't be too hard on him. He can't help it.

[PDinCA]

01:33 PM on 05/05/2010

And he only managed that because his dad was an Admiral, and pulled strings to keep him from getting kicked out.

[hotbarb2614]

03:53 PM on 05/06/2010

He had nodody pulling strings to get him to the White House. He assumed it was his turn. Everyday he pulls a tamtrum because the baby can't except defeat.

[Lynda Gilmartin]

12:12 PM on 05/05/2010

Ever since he lost the presidency to Barack Obama, John McCain has proven over and over again that he is a man UTTERLY without character. He seems to have no core beliefs at all but rather is motivated only by what he thinks will benefit himself. It was nice knowin' you, John; now will you please just get lost? Talk about an empty suit!

[DevonTexas]

11:46 AM on 05/05/2010

I'm so glad he didn't win the election... Sista Sarah, aside, of course.

[Vinlander]

11:21 AM on 05/05/2010

If the Viet Cong had read him his Miranda rights, would he have said anything different?

[coffeeshoptalk]

10:27 AM on 05/05/2010

How much stock should we take in what John McCain does or has to say on any given day? He lost all credibility when he picked a know-nothing for his VP running mate. They both continue to spew ignorance and hate day in and day out. Get over yourselves JM and SP, you lost, taking your revenge on the road and out on America, under the disguise of "Real Americans” is clear and transparent. I would like to see you both on trial for treason.

[DonRoberto]

10:25 AM on 05/05/2010

This is further evidence, as if any were needed, that McCain --- and members of the GOP leadership generally --- just don't believe in the American way.

You can bet that if McCain is against Mirandizing suspects, Bachmann, Tancredo, Glenn Beck, and the rest will start calling for summary executions of suspects and "other brown people".

[edtheengineer]

12:15 PM on 05/05/2010

True! The Goopers don't believe in anything but the "Wasilla Way" for Reel Amurukuns. In summary, the rule is "if they are brown, shoot em down".

[studioh!]

10:22 AM on 05/05/2010

John: You have the right to remain silent... (you lost!)

[Pamski]

11:17 AM on 05/05/2010

He has the right to remain silent but, like so many of his party, he doesn't have the ability.

[Rosanneofpgh]

11:18 AM on 05/05/2010

In fact, we INSIST you remain silent, loser!!!

[edtheengineer]

12:20 PM on 05/05/2010

He cannot remain silent. Each day he yells at new clouds and on weekends he screams at democrats to get off his lawn.

[Bosfarcal]

10:11 AM on 05/05/2010

Just a minute. Wasn't that whole Vietnam War thing about preserving democracy? Weren't we fighting to stop the Red Tide from sweeping across Asia and landing in San Francisco? All those Communists are out to destroy our sacred way of life and we have to stop them. That's what we were told at the time.

John McCain was part of that fight. I will not, has others have, disparage his war record or his service to his country. I would simiply ask this: What exactly is McCain fighting to preserve now? Whatever it is, it doesn't sound much like democracy to me.

[Andrew Hallam]

10:28 AM on 05/05/2010

Well, you're attempting to compare fighting as a soldier in a war to taking a political stance. I will go ahead and say that he served admirably in an unjust war. He fought and I'm sure like many others he thought at various times that the war was unjust and that he was fighting for nothing. What he believed after the war he may or may not have actually believed, but he knew a post in Vietnam and his high profile return made him a likely star in the world of politics.

Denying Shahzad his constitutional rights wouldn't end our democracy (to put it lightly it is not un-democratic), because he became a soldier, he joined the single cause that unites Radical Islamists around the world and in MY eyes he is no longer American so why should we treat him like one. And before you say we should set an example for the rest of the world: yeah sure, maybe when nations dissolve and we as a species realize the nation-state model is the death bed of humanity as a whole because nations are inherently selfish and willingly resort to war for national (and personal) gain.

[nwfurn]

10:58 AM on 05/05/2010

GONG! "He's no longer American"? Because you say so? This is a nation of laws and sorry to inform you that just because he is who and what he is and you don't like that, he is still an AMERICAN citizen.

[You]

11:00 AM on 05/05/2010

Is Obama an American Citizen in YOUR eyes?

[Johnjlws]

09:59 AM on 05/05/2010

That pesky Constitutional rights thing (interpreted)...always in the way. Perhaps the Senator could instruct on how to build a Hanoi Hilton and we could throw anyone suspected of anything in there (oh, wait, his dance partner did that with Gitmo). We're so very fortunate he stayed a Senator; his great legacy, unfortunately, is introducing us to the quitter. "...pipe down and let the grownups do their jobs." Great line.