Creative Jurisdiction

Another interesting case for the Supreme Court to ponder has been served to them and they are listening to it.

It seems two civilians with American citizenship got snagged in Iraq with the terrorists, or as Michael Moore calls them minutemen. Mohammad Munaf was convicted by an Iraqi court to death in a case involving the kidnapping and murder of three Romanian journalists. Shawqi Omar is accused of being a top associate of the now thankfully deceased Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Their ever eager legal beagles are arguing that since the men are at Camp Copper and under American military control, they should be not be tried by the Iraqis and instead be tried by the United States court system. Anyone remember that film about that American civilian convicted in Turkey on drug charges and spent years in their prison system? I do. And what does the State Department tell travellers if they get into scuffles with host nation law enforcement, yes you can call us but local laws apply to you. I can hear you say, as their lawyers argue, these men are being guarded by American forces so they should be granted US based trials. Wrong again, the US military can even turn over one of their own to local authorities for such things as suspected murder. Just ask Olatunbosun Ugbogu, a Nigerian national, serving in the US Navy in Japan. They just turned him over to Japanese authorities as the prime suspect in the stabbing death of a Japanese taxi driver.

Luckily Justices like Scalia, Alito, and Roberts are very skeptical of their lawyers' arguments. Let us hope they rule in favor of the United States lacking the jurisdiction to try these wayward American citizens and their bogus claims.