Ahmed Ressam, the diabolical Algerian convicted of attempting to explode a bomb at the Los Angeles Airport on the eve of the millennium, was sentenced today to 22 years in prison by a U.S. District Court judge in Seattle.

The judge who sentenced him to this light sentence, Judge John Coughenour, was appointed - unbelievably - to the bench by President Ronald Reagan. Hugh Hewitt said on his radio show that Coughenour was screened for the appointment by Ted Olson (!!), and is a very close friend of former Sen. Slade Gorton of Washington state. That explains the appointment by Reagan.

The fact is that Ressam has not, and does not presently regret his actions. He is just as likely to kill Americans again in 22 years, or earlier if released, as he was back in 2000. He is a material danger to this country and its citizens. He ceased his cooperation in providing intelligence to U.S. authorities about Al Qaeda, and he refuses to help those trying to get intelligence about the organization to this day. This clearly indicates that he still considers himself allied with Al Qaeda, and would do its bidding - kill as many Americans as he could - if given half the chance.

Despite all of that, Judge Coughenour had the audacity to make the following statement:

"Coughenour said this trial shows that the justice system in this country works.

"All of this occurred in the sunlight of a public trial," Coughenour said. "There were no secret proceedings, no indefinite detention, no denial of counsel."

"The tragedy of September 11th shook our sense of security. . . Unfortunately some believe that this threat renders our Constitution obsolete, " he said.

"It is my sworn duty, and as long as there is breath in my body I'll perform it, to support and defend the constitution of the United States."

What does that mean? To support and defend the Constitution of the United States by giving a man who tried to blow up one of the biggest airports in the United States only 22 years (probably less) in prison, despite the fact that Ressam stopped cooperating back in 2003?

Yes, he did stop cooperating back in 2003, hampering the ability of investigators to conduct antiterrorist operations and investigations:

In the months before 9/11, Ressam emerged as an important U.S. government informant on the al Qaida network, but later ended his cooperation. In a last ditch effort at an April hearing, Judge John Coughenour failed to persuade Ressam to resume helping the U.S. Justice Department in two significant terrorism cases that prosecutors say may now have to be dismissed. Ressam rejected the judge's request.

Coughenour failed to persuade Ressam to resume his cooperation, for which Coughenour rewarded Ressam with a 22 year sentence, despite a recommendation for a higher sentence from the prosecutor. Coughenour then had the absolute chutzpah to declare that he is defending the Constitution, further bloviating that some people who take the very serious threat of terrorism against us, as a result of 9/11, believe that the threat "renders our Constitution obsolete."

Who might "some" be? Those who might actually believe that we should put away someone who is planning mass death and destruction in our country for a very, very long time? For perhaps at least that which was recommended by the prosecutor in the case? The nerve of this judge - who suffers from an exaggerated intellectual hernia - is incredible.

The prosecutor in the case, John McKay, had asked for 35 years for Ressam:

"We must not forget why Ressam came here in the first place: to spread death and destruction, to achieve his terrorist goals," McKay said in a statement released after the sentencing hearing.

And this gets even worse - Ressam may even get three years shaved off for good behavior:

Ressam would get credit for the five years he's already served. He likely would be eligible for additional three years off his sentence for good behavior.

In a best case scenario, he could be out in about 14 years, according to defense attorney Tom Hillier.

14 years for trying to blow up the LAX airport! But remember, Coughenour views himself as trying to "defend the constitution" against those of us, believing in appropriate justice, who might render it "obsolete."

More on Ressam's refusal to assist with information that could be used two help prosecute to Al Qaeda members:

But Ressam has refused to help the Justice Department move forward with two prosecutions of alleged al Qaida operatives.

One case involves the extradition from Great Britain of Abu Doha, alleged to have acted as a "central player in North African terrorist networks," according to a brief filed Tuesday by prosecutors.

The other case involves the extradition from Canada of Samir Ait Mohamed, who is alleged to have assisted Ressam in his efforts to commit international terrorism .

In court filings, prosecutors have said that the Abu Doha and Mohamed cases have been put into jeopardy by Ressam's unwillingness to follow through with earlier promises of assistance. And the government now expects to dismiss both cases.

"However, we do not intend to take any such action until sometime after Ressam's sentencing," according to a Justice Department filing Tuesday. "That is to allow for the unlikely possibility that, if Ressam receives a sentence higher than he hopes, he will resume cooperating."

So unlikely as to be almost an impossibility, now that Judge Coughenour has removed all incentive for Ressam to cooperate, and virtually guaranteed that it will not be all that long a time before Ressam is able to seriously plan death and destruction for Americans once again.

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More on Coughenour here.

It would also seem that Coughenour is more interested in protecting salmon than he is in throwing the book at a dangerous terrorist.

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Update: Michelle Malkin with an excellent post entitled "The Terrorists' Little Helper: Judge Coughenour"