On May 8, Abdullah al Muhajir was arrested at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on allegations that he was plotting to build a radiological dispersal device with the assistance of al-Qaida. Al Muhajir was returning from Chicago after allegedly meeting with al-Qaida agents in Pakistan.
At first glance, it appears the U.S. intelligence community rectified its previous shortcomings by acting on a warning and apprehending a suspect before ineptitude allowed a catastrophic event to happen. It seems, however, that the next attack was not going to come from a former Chicago gangbanger with an extensive criminal record dating back to the mid-1980s.
If Muhajir, born Jose Padilla in New York in 1971, plotted with terrorists to unleash a "dirty bomb" in Washington as the United States has alleged, he deserves to be punished to the fullest extent of the law via a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury, as provided to him as an American citizen by the Bill of Rights. Unfortunately, overzealous politicians have thrown due process out the window and deemed him as an enemy combatant. This classification allows the government to detain him indefinitely and restrict his access to counsel.
Exacerbating matters, Muhajir likely will not face trial. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld went so far as to state that the government is not interested "in trying and punishing him." They are interested in "finding out what he knows."
Regardless of whether Muhajir was involved in terrorist activities, he is still an American citizen deserving of a trial. His rights cannot be suspended simply because of a perceived national threat, especially when there has been no formal declaration of war.
The only thing that could be more disturbing than stripping Muhajir of his rights is what drove him to possibly collaborate with terrorists.
Muhajir's first contact with the justice system came in 1985 when he and a friend stabbed a man to death in a botched robbery. Muhajir and his friend walked away with $107, a wristwatch and some Mexican currency. After serving three years in a juvenile detention center on a conviction of aggravated battery, armed robbery and attempted armed robbery, Muhajir was released back onto the streets.
His life of crime continued, bouncing in and out of prisons. He married a Muslim woman in 1995, converting to Islam and changing his name.
Something turned Muhajir against the United States. Unlike John Lindh, who was discovered in a raid on al-Qaida positions in Afghanistan last year, Muhajir is not from a privileged background, and the government has not offered any proof that he took up arms against the United States.
Muhajir's situation is troubling not only because of the circumstances of his confinement, but because his possible disillusionment with the American way of life carries more validity than Lindh's. His lot in life is similar to that of many followers of Osama bin Laden and members of al-Qaida.
America's task here is two-fold. The government must ensure that Muhajir receives the fair trial he is entitled to. The rest of us must ensure that the grievances of those on the fringes of society are addressed.
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