Alleged but Not Proven (washingtonpost.com)

"But for the long-term detention without trial of an American citizen, our system typically demands more than allegations. In this instance, the Mobbs declaration itself provides reasons for caution. The government concedes that its intelligence sources "have not been completely candid about their association with Al Qaeda and their terrorist activities" and that "some information provided by the sources remains uncorroborated and may be part of an effort to mislead or confuse U.S. officials." Without some reality check, there is no way to have confidence that Mr. Padilla is what the government claims."

Like the Village Voice, the Washington Post is raising serious questions about the legality of the Justice Department's actions in its putative war on terrorism.

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The Village Voice: Nation: Nat Hentoff: General Ashcroft's Detention Camps by Nat Hentoff

"Attorney General John Ashcroft's announced desire for camps for U.S. citizens he deems to be 'enemy combatants' has moved him from merely being a political embarrassment to being a constitutional menace." [said GWU Law Professor Jonathon Turley] Actually, ever since General Ashcroft pushed the U.S. Patriot Act through an overwhelmingly supine Congress soon after September 11, he has subverted more elements of the Bill of Rights than any attorney general in American history.

Professor Turley may be known for his flamboyant rhetoric, but now is the time to stop John Ashcroft before we wake up to find ourselves in a very different America.  The quote by Confucious below is very much on point.

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Confucius. "The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved." [Motivational Quotes of the Day]

Now more than ever we should be mindful of the precious heritage of individual liberty with which we have been bestowed, lest it be stolen in broad daylight from right in front of us without our lifting a finger to preserve it.