WASHINGTON, DC – Representative Jane Harman (D-Venice), Chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence, today issued the following statement about the conviction Wednesday of Ahmed Ghailani on conspiracy charges related to the 1998 embassy bombings in Africa:
“Unlike some of my colleagues, I applaud rather than decry yesterday’s conviction of Ahmed Ghailani, who now faces between 20 years and life in a federal maximum security prison on charges connected to the 1998 embassy bombings in Africa. This is far from an exoneration of Mr. Ghailani, as has been suggested, and is a stiffer sentence than all but one meted out by military tribunals.
“Some are citing the Ghailani verdict as a reason to abandon using federal Article III courts to try terrorists, yet the facts are clear: there have been 218 convictions or guilty pleas in civilian courts since 9/11 – an 89 percent conviction rate – compared to only five in military tribunals. Two of those convicted by tribunal have already been set free.
“Experts believe that Ghailani would have been convicted on more counts if evidence against him, that was ruled inadmissible, had not been tainted by now discredited Bush-era detention and interrogation practices.
“More than 200 years of American jurisprudence and a clear track record of success should not be thrown out the window or falsely characterized for political advantage. The Obama Administration needs to push back.”