On a September day in 2001, our country was ripped apart by the unspeakable horrors of a terrorist attack that killed almost 3,000 Americans. For many of us, the attack came out of nowhere. Many Americans couldn’t understand why we had been attacked. We didn’t even realize we were at war. But Islamic jihadists had been trying for decades to kill us, and there was a warning of what was to come on October 12, 2000. On that day, a terrorist blew a hole in the side of the USS Cole, killing 17 sailors and injuring many more.

Abd al-Rahim Al-Nashiri is the alleged mastermind of the Cole bombing. Before his capture in 2002, he headed Al Qaeda operations in the Persian Gulf. In 2009, the Obama administration dropped charges against al-Nashiri, and now, they’ve shelved the prosecution altogether.

The Obama administration has shelved the planned prosecution of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the alleged coordinator of the Oct. 2000 suicide attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, according to a court filing.

The decision at least temporarily scuttles what was supposed to be the signature trial of a major al-Qaeda figure under a reformed system of military commissions. And it comes practically on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the attack, which killed 17 sailors and wounded dozens when a boat packed with explosives ripped a hole in the side of the warship in the port of Aden.

In a filing this week in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, the Justice Department said that “no charges are either pending or contemplated with respect to al-Nashiri in the near future.”

… Military officials said a team of prosecutors in the Nashiri case has been ready go to trial for some time. And several months ago, military officials seemed confident that Nashiri would be arraigned this summer.

“It’s politics at this point,” said one military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss policy. He said he thinks the administration does not want to proceed against a high-value detainee without some prospect of civilian trials for other major figures at Guantanamo Bay.

Interestingly, the only two cases being prosecuted out of Guantanamo Bay are two cases that were set in motion during the Bush administration. In January 2009, though, Defense Secretary Gates had the brilliant idea to stop referring cases for trial. Over a year later, that order still stands. Is it all just politics? It certainly seems like it. What practical reason does the Obama administration actually have to not prosecute al-Nashiri? This is the man who allegedly took the lives of 17 men who were serving their country, 17 men who deserve justice. But hey, it’ll bring up that whole argument of whether or not we should be prosecuting terrorists in civilian trials or in military commissions, and it’s right around election time. Can’t have that, can we?

What message does it send to the families of the men whose lives were taken that day? It’s been almost ten years, and now the Obama administration is basically telling these families that they don’t care. It’s outrageous, and a huge slap in the face. 17 men serving our country killed, and all the Obama administration can think about is how not to infringe on the “rights” of the terrorist. It’s despicable.

Never forget the USS Cole, and always remember the heroes who gave their lives that day.

Electronics Technician 1st Class Richard Costelow
Mess Management Specialist Lakina Francis
Information Systems Technician Tim Guana
Signalman Seaman Recruit Cherone Gunn
Seaman James McDaniels
Engineman 2nd Class Mark Nieto
Electronics Warfare Technician 3rd Class Ronald Owens
Seaman Recruit Lakiba Parker
Engineman Fireman Joshua Parlett
Fireman Apprentice Patrick Roy
Electronics Warfare Technician Kevin Rux
Petty Officer 3rd Class Ron Santiago
Operations Special 2nd Class Timothy Sanders
Fireman Gary Swenchonis Jr
Ensign Andrew Triplett
Seaman Apprentice Craig Wibberly
Hull Maintenance Technician 3rd Class Kenneth Clodfelter.