Words to Live By

"I would like to convey the message that our system works. We did not need to use a secret military tribunal, or detain the defendant indefinitely as an enemy combatant, or deny him the right to counsel, or invoke any proceedings beyond those guaranteed by or contrary to the United States Constitution.

"I would suggest that the message to the world from today's sentencing is that our courts have not abandoned our commitment to the ideals that set our nation apart. We can deal with the threats to our national security without denying the accused fundamental constitutional protections."

-- U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour during the sentencing hearing for Ahmed Ressam, an Algerian national, who was sentenced to 22 years for plotting to bomb Los Angeles International Airport on the eve of the millennium.