Tribunal Proper Venue for Trying Terrorists

President Bush wants to create special American military tribunals not seen since the end of World War II to try Osama bin Laden and any of his cohorts who might be captured alive.

The military order gives Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld the authority to establish the courts, similar to those established by President Roosevelt.

The tribunal approach is the proper one. Bin Laden and his accomplices conducted a murderous attack on the United States. Can you imagine the circus if they were tried in a civilian court? Remember O.J. Simpson? Remember Alan Dershowitz?

The military tribunals would be able to set their own standards for evidence and they could impose the death penalty.

It would be up to President Bush to decide who would be tried in a military court and who would get civilian court treatment. That's fine with me.

I hope the tribunals won't be necessary. They won't be if our military continues to do its excellent job.