Way back when I was in high school and was convinced that John Demjanjuk was Ivan the Terrible (an infamous Nazi death camp guard), my mother said something to me that, given that her brothers fought in World War II, surprised me. She said that you do things in war you wouldn't do any time else and it was time to let it go. I don't believe she was right at the time she said it, but I believe she's right now.
To recap those of you who were not living in the Cleveland, Ohio area in the 70s, 80s, or 90s, Demjanjuk is a retired auto worker who was found to have lied on his entry papers to the United States and was given to Israel for trial as the aforementioned Ivan the Terrible. After being found guilty and sentenced to death, the Israeli Supreme Court found that he was not Ivan the Terrible as was claimed. So back he came to Ohio and U.S. citizenship. The Justice Department then asked for deportation again, now having linked him to being a Nazi camp guard at a different place.
He has once again been found guilty of lying on his entry papers and on 28 December 2005, John Demjanjuk was ordered deported to the Ukraine, which is all the U.S. can do in the matter. Was he a death camp guard? Well, the Federal Courts seem to think so, but they also thought he was Ivan the Terrible. Demjanjuk is (as of 28 December 2005) 85 years old. When you're that old, a life sentence could mean twelve minutes. And just who is the Justice Department satisfying and protecting with this? Israel has not asked for him to try him and last I checked, there weren't any secret death camps down by Parmatown Mall. So what's the point?
Only he knows for sure who and what he is, but he'll be meeting his maker really soon to iron all that out. If he should somehow win his appeal of deportation, I think it's time the Justice Department leave him alone. And if they really need something to do, I understand there are some long distance calls from Al Qaeda that need analysis.
