Once, the yardstick of a crime was the crime itself. Now, bit by bit, even considering a crime has apparently become a crime:
Under U.S. law, federal prosecutors do not have to
“establish a link with specific terrorist activities” in order to charge a
suspect with a crime, but only show a suspect intended to “support or join” a
group the government has already labeled a terrorist organization, the paper
noted.
The quote comes from
a Reuters story outlining U.S. efforts to encourage foreign countries to ramp up their efforts against not just the criminals called "terrorists," but pre-emptively to ramp up the efforts against 'apparent' or 'wannabe' extremists.
The U.S. Justice Department has provided specific
suggestions to governments in Europe and elsewhere on
how to strengthen counterterrorism laws in order to arrest would-be foreign
fighters before they join groups like Islamic State, according to a policy
paper reviewed by Reuters.
And bit by bit. like the tortures at
Abu Ghraib, the lawyers line up to declare it all legal and, no doubt, desirable.
If you object to fabulous wealth taking advantage of devastating poverty, you might be a terrorist.... but not a redneck.
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