Aliens don't get to have America's rights? And we fight for what, exactly...?

Senator Mel Martinez (R, Florida) wrote to me, in part:

"The strength of America depends on the preservation of our values. Terrorists who are detained in this war, and subsequently prosecuted, should be afforded an appropriate legal process; however, these detainees simply cannot and should not be afforded the same rights and process that our citizens enjoy in our courts."

I asked him in reply, "So you're saying aliens should not have the same rights as Americans? OK. What exactly are we fighting for in the Middle East then?"