I think “hypocrisy” may be the wrong word for describing the decision to release Posada. The Bush administration has followed a very consistent policy of not trying terrorists for their crimes. The Bush administration has engaged in a very deliberate program of decriminalized terrorism– defining it in terms of “war” rather than “crime.” We are told that terrorism poses such a severe threat to our national security, the court system cannot be trusted with the prosecution of its perpetrators. Only the executive can be trusted to determine who is a threat and who is not. The President insists that only he posesses the unfettered authority to determine who is and is not a terrorist.

The detention of innocent individuals at Guantanamo shows why alleged terrorists need the legal system to have their interests protected. The release of Posada shows why the victims of terrorism need that same protection.

This article exposes Bush’s rhetoric on the War on Terror as complete hypocrisy. It is interesting to compare this situation to how the U.S. handled calling for the extradition if Osama bin Laden. After 9/11, Bush gave an ultimatum to Afghanistan demanding that they turn over bin Laden. Afghanistan replied by asking for evidence of his crimes (we now know that the U.S. had no clear-cut evidence linking him to the 9/11 attacks). The U.S. responded to this by invading the country.

One can imagine the outrage if Venezuela acted in this manner.

Bush’s rhetoric on supporting terrorism, however, is straight propaganda even aside from the blatant contradictions of the U.S. harboring terrorists like Posada.

The War on Terror is absurd. The U.S. isn’t fighting terrorism of any kind. Even if you limit terrorism to mean terrorism committed by official U.S. enemies, America is doing nothing to combat it. As one might expect, the War on Terror does the opposite of it’s name by unleashing terror on it’s victims while inciting increased hatred and terrorism from others.

I don’t think that Posada should be sent back to Venezuela at the moment considering the high probability that he would be tortured. On the other hand, the hypocrisy and injustice of allowing him to live freely here isn’t the right answer either.

Makes me think about how powerful the anti-castro cubans in Florida are. No politician wants to rock that boat it seems, even in the name of fighting terror.

Posada is further evidence of the shallow rhetoric that this administration has spouted in order to justify so much injustice and stupidity. Like Torrijos said, the US War on Terror is discretionary.