Padilla staying put

Richmond, Va.

A federal appeals court last week ruled that President Bush can keep “dirty bomb” suspect Jose Padilla behind bars, reversing a lower court’s order to charge him with a crime or let him go. Padilla, a U.S. citizen and a convert to Islam, has been linked to al Qaida terrorists. He was arrested in 2002 for allegedly plotting to explode radioactive bombs in the U.S. to spread panic. Normally, Padilla would have the right to a speedy trial. But the three-judge appeals panel said he allied himself with al Qaida, which has declared war on the U.S., so the government can hold him indefinitely as an “enemy combatant.” Padilla’s lawyer said the ruling means the president, citing “hearsay,” can jail anyone he doesn’t like without a hearing or a trial.

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