Washington, D.C.—House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today applauded the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that Bagram detainees cannot use U.S. courts to challenge their imprisonment.

Ranking Member Smith: “I am pleased that the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals today overturned a ruling that gave foreign terrorists detained in Afghanistan the right to plead their case in U.S. courts.  Terrorists are enemies of war, not convenience store robbers. 

“Never before in the history of our nation have we tried enemy combatants in civilian courts. Giving terrorists access to federal courts would burden American taxpayers and strain our court system. Every terrorist apprehended on the battlefield would have the right to come to the U.S. and use our courts as a platform to spew their radical jihadist message.

“The Obama Administration rightly appealed the lower court decision, adhering to the Bush Administration’s position that enemy combatant detainees held by the U.S. military in foreign war zones are not entitled to the same rights and freedoms as U.S. citizens. While enemy combatants must be treated justly, today’s decision ensures that they are treated like enemies of war, not American citizens.”

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