The criminals amongst us

In May of 2003 the US announced it had captured two "high value" subjects central to Saddam Hussein's biological warfare establishment, Rihab Taha ("Dr. Germ"), the program director, and Huda Sallih Mahdi Ammash ("Mrs. Anthrax"), a top scientist in Taha's program. Last week they were released:

"We no longer had cause to hold them since they are no longer under investigation for crimes," [military spokesman, Lt. Col. Barry] Johnson said in a statement.(CNN)

So after being held for two and a half years they were released, without fanfare, because they weren't under investigation for crimes. So as far as the US government is concerned these aren't criminals--legally speaking. Not that the US government gives a shit about the letter of the law when it comes to detainees, of course. They were no longer of interest, for whatever reason.

Leaving aside the shameful disregard of due process and civilized behavior US authorities exhibit with regard to detainees, from my perspective, both of these scum bags are still criminals. They used medical science to devise ways to kill people.

But that's just me. If this were really a criterion for criminality, just think of the crime wave we'd have.