Letter: Bush calling for too much power

Monday, Dec. 3, 2001 | 8:40 a.m.

Associated Press reporter Karen Gullo wrote the following on Nov. 29: "Foreigners who give the U.S. government useful information about terrorists could be put on a fast track to American citizenship under a program announced Thursday. Attorney General John Ashcroft offered the carrot while defending the administration's stick in the domestic war on terrorism -- its decision to allow the creation of secretive military courts to try accused terrorists."

During his Nov. 10 address to the U.N. General Assembly, the president insisted that U.N. Security Council Resolution 1373 impose binding "obligations" on all nations to cooperate in the global war on terrorism. Under that resolution, Bush continued, "Every known terrorist camp must be shut down, its operators apprehended, and evidence of their arrest presented to the United Nations." It is entirely reasonable to believe that the military tribunals created by President Bush will ultimately be brought under the United Nations' control and supervision.

President George W. Bush, by outward appearances, seems to be a decent and humane man. Granted, his image benefits considerably from the contrast with his utterly depraved and power-hungry predecessor, who ruled by decree during the last two years of his term. But if we measure his performance against the only standard that matters -- the United States Constitution -- it becomes clear that President Bush, by implementing secret military tribunals, is rapidly amassing dictatorial powers that Bill Clinton could only have dreamed of.

DOW WOERNER