Hmmm...

I have to admit that, since the capture of the man labeled "terrorist #2", I haven't followed the story as exhaustively as I could have.  I know he was in hospital (Mass General, if I'm not mistaken, the same place his brother was pronounced DOA and the same place the cop he shot is recovering), and I have heard talking heads on the radio say he hasn't heard his Miranda rights.

What I haven't heard is anyone in a position of authority saying what Ryan is saying... that the are taking a gamble and treating the man (or labeling him) an "enemy combatant" so that he won't have the same access to civil and criminal rights as the rest of the nation' citizens.  There is a 48 hour window within the Miranda requirements to ensure that no greater threat or danger exists, just as there is a 24 hour window wherein the authorities can hold a citizen for only 24 hours before charging him/her with a crime or letting them walk away.

Citizen or not (and the irony of the 9-11 oath of citizenship is not beyond me), the man is in a heap of trouble.  Bombing charges aside, the man's capture and the circumstances surrounding it are MORE than enough to charge him with so that he can be held indefinitely.  There should be no NEED to utilize obscure or fringe elements of our justice code to keep him behind bars and answering questions.

The man is a US citizen.  End of story.  He deserves and has a right to expect each and every guaranteed freedom and protection our society promises any one of us.  If we allow ourselves to forget or overlook THAT fact, then I'm afraid the damage is already done and the principles by which this nation exists are no longer there.