Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was charged in federal court today.
He was “charged with conspiring to use weapon of mass destruction against persons and property in U.S. resulting in death.”
White House spokesman Jay Carney said Dzhokhar will not be charged as an enemy combatant.
Transcript via Real Clear Politics:
JAY CARNEY: He will not be treated as an enemy combatant. We will prosecute this terrorist through our civilian system of justice. Under U.S. law, United States citizens cannot be tried in military commissions. And it is important to remember that since 9/11 we have used the federal court system to convict and incarcerate hundreds of terrorists. The effective use of the criminal justice system has resulted in the interrogation, conviction and detention of both U.S. citizens and non-citizens for acts of terrorism committed inside the United States and around the world.
