Left vs Right. Do I just believe the last thing I read? Both of these articles made sense at the time, but I am swayed by the second linked article. Comments by a Washington state Judge concerning the trial of the Millenium Bomber were hailed by civil libertarians. The riposte to those remarks appeared in the Washington Post today. Read them and make up your own mind. Money quote from the Judge:

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.

Here is the first link. Next is the money quote from the Washington Post, and its link.

In fact, the balance between security and liberty is constantly readjusted as circumstances change. A well-functioning government will contract civil liberties as threats increase. A government that refuses to adjust its policies has simply frozen in the face of the threat. It is pathologically rigid, not enlightened.