RSS Feed MenuThe New York State Senate has become the latest in a growing list of elected representatives sounding off against holding the 9/11 terror trials in New York City. The Senate passed a resolution on February 9th calling upon the Obama administration to move the trials to a military location.
U.S. Senator Charles Schumer has also publicly come out against the trials. “My advice to the President is, with a great deal of respect, take New York off your radar screen,” Schumer told reporters.
Even New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has changed his mind and come out against holding the trials in Manhattan. Bloomberg originally supported the plan to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other accused 9/11 plotters in civilian court in New York City, just blocks from the World Trade Center site. He did not initially seem swayed by concerns that the trial would make New York an even riper terrorist target, or by the argument that war criminals should be tried in a military, not civilian setting. He was ultimately swayed by the $1 billion price tag for the trials. The federal government has not guaranteed that this cost would not be passed on to New York City in some fashion, so Bloomberg reversed course.
New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly was never even consulted when Attorney General Eric Holder’s Justice Department made its decision to bring the trials to Manhattan. As the city’s top cop, you’d think his opinion would count for something when it comes to security.
If all this weren’t enough to dash plans to hold the trials in Manhattan, legislation drafted by Rep. Peter King (R-NY) to prevent federal funds from being spent on civilian trials for Guantanamo detainees is picking up steam. Two Democrats have joined 17 Republicans in sponsoring the legislation. King believes that Democratic support for Obama’s detainee policy has eroded, giving his bill a better than average chance for success if it is brought to the floor.
There is no indication from the White House if they will go the military route or pick another civilian location for the 9/11 trials, but it is becoming increasingly unlikely that Manhattan will remain on their list of options.
Mandos // Feb 10, 2010 at 6:57 pm
So, in other words, the USA descends further into terrified lawlessness.
oldgal // Feb 11, 2010 at 6:57 am
I gotta go with Jon Stewart on this one.
sinz54 // Feb 11, 2010 at 9:41 am
Mandos:
There’s nothing “lawless” about change of venue. It happens all the time with trials.
Heck, if the trial had been held in NYC, I expect that KSM’s defense attorney would ask the judge for a change of venue on the grounds that you can’t expect a jury of New Yorkers to be truly objective.
Personally, I don’t care where the trial is held.
I do care how it’s held.
It should be a trial by a military commission, since 9-11 was a paramilitary attack by a foreign power on thousands of American civilians in buildings which had no military value whatsoever. Therefore, the attack on the Twin Towers qualifies as a war crime–and war crimes are usually tried by military courts.
JonF // Feb 11, 2010 at 9:48 am
The argument that NYC would become a terror target if trials were held there is ridiculous: does anyone think the city isn’t already on the top of the list (or maybe just behind DC) as the A-1 target for Al Qaida? Good grief.
The cost argument works best here.
As for military tribunals, we can thank the Bush administration for that mess. Had they been content to use the existing Courts Martial system of military justice we would not be having this debate. Instead they tried to reinvent the wheel with their special military tribunals, and they dragged the whole process into a constititutional quagmire. By moving the trials to the civilian system the Obama adninsutration is trying to pull them out of the muck. For sure we need to get on with this one way or another. And using this as a political football ought to be seen as profoundly unAmerican.
kevin47 // Feb 11, 2010 at 7:54 pm
“So, in other words, the USA descends further into terrified lawlessness.”
Correct. We no longer have laws. Good observation, Mandos.