Originally published September 24 2011
Feds dub young man enemy combatant for uploading video to YouTube
by Jonathan Benson, staff writer
(NaturalNews) The dubious "war on terror" has effectively nullified, at least in current practice, the individual protections afforded by the US Constitution. A recent MSNBC report explains that the federal government has charged 24-year-old Jubair Ahmad of Woodbridge, Va., with "supporting terrorism," simply because he uploaded a supposed propaganda video to YouTube.
Reports claim that Ahmad was trained by a terrorist group in Pakistan when he was younger, and that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been tracking him for the past several years as a result. Ahmad also allegedly uploaded a video involving "jihadi martyrs" and images of trucks exploding.
Ahmad has denied a connection to the YouTube video, and has not actually been convicted of committing any real crime. And yet in accordance with the unconstitutional Patriot Act, which was forcibly established after the 9/11 attacks, Ahmad is being treated as though he is guilty of a crime simply for allegedly uploading it.
Assuming, for a moment, that Ahmad did upload the video, this action alone is not a criminal offense. And even if it was, Ahmad is entitled to the same constitutional protections and inalienable rights as every other American, which include being allowed due process under the law, and a fair trial to determine his guilt or innocence.
But because of the US government's new rules concerning "enemy combatants" and "terrorists," which they have now declared are exempt from constitutional protections, Ahmad can be assumed guilty until proven innocent. Ahmad may also be imprisoned without a trial, tortured, and potentially even assassinated for a possible, but undetermined, connection to terrorism.
If Americans allow their government to strip away constitutional protections for one unlikeable group in the name of protecting against terrorism, that same government can, and will, do it to other groups in the future. Thanks to the Patriot Act, the US government has free reign to treat all Americans as potential terrorists -- that is, unless its citizens finally stand up and say enough is enough.
Sources for this story include:
http://www.prisonplanet.com/feds-charge-man-...
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml