News reports today inform us that Omar Abdel-Rahman, the "blind cleric" who plotted the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, is in poor health and had to be hospitalized last week. He's now back at his permanent home at the federal superdupermax prison in Colorado. Given Rahman's probably-imminent death, the FBI is nervous that he could inspire more terror attacks as an homage of sorts.

I have a suggestion: Release him.

Why not? Have the warden hand Rahman a fifty and a bus ticket and say, "Stay outta trouble!" Grant him a geriatric parole and tell him to report to a probation officer to commence his term of supervised release. I think this would serve several useful purposes.

First, propaganda. The U.S. could say it isn't heartless, and could say it is motivated by a desire to prevent terror attacks and not a desire to make old men suffer. (This could be coupled well with a gesture like releasing a handful of obviously harmless prisoners from Guantanamo.) And, the U.S. would avoid the charge that Rahman "died in U.S. custody." While the exact location of the man's expiration would hardly matter to terrorists committed to carrying out an attack in Rahman's name, it's less potent to say something like "died peacefully in his sleep" as opposed to "was already cold and stiff by morning roll call." Even if they put him on a plane to Egypt (his birthplace), my understanding is that the Egyptians have co-operated with the U.S. before in dealing with terrorists, and tracking his movements somewhere else would avoid legalistic concerns over domestic spying.

Second, I think it's probably safe to say that U.S. authorities have probably gotten from Rahman all the intelligence info they could by now. But if they let him go, what a bonanza! They'd probably like to know who Rahman would call, who would come pick him up, where they would go, where Rahman would live, who would support him, etc. I doubt that Rahman's followers, who cared enough about him to commit murder on his orders, would let him fend for himself like Brooks in Shawshank. So let him go and see where he leads.

I think Rahman could be more valuable to the U.S. outside of prison than in it, and that's not just because releasing him would save the expense of transporting him and caring for him as his condition worsens. To be clear, I'm mostly joking, and I don't wish Rahman any peace. But at some point, isn't it at least worth asking if detainees would serve us better as living tracking devices instead of as p.r. nightmares at Guantanamo?

I think E. McPan has me beat in terms of volume, but my Christmas winter holiday cards are more colorful! Also unlike her, I won't offer to send you folks one, partly because my hand is crampy after all that well-wishing and addressing, and partly because I'm not sure how well I want to know some of you. That said, I will extend BTQ's best wishes to you and yours during whatever you're celebrating these days. Note: Not a guarantee of good tidings; some investments lose value; your mileage may vary; offer not valid in Wyoming and where prohibited by law; no purchase necessary.