RSS Feed MenuThe growing public outrage over Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to try the 9/11 plotters in a civilian court was on full display this past weekend in New York City. A rally organized by 9/11 Never Forget drew a large crowd of protesters and a list of high-profile speakers to Foley Square, the heart of the federal government’s court system in Manhattan. Cold temperatures and driving rain did not deter those assembled from letting it be known that no good can come from Holder’s plan to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammad in federal court.
The theme of the event may have been best captured in a moving letter from Judea and Ruth Pearl, parents of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. The letter was read to the crowd by actor Brian Dennehy, who opened his remarks with a little light humor. “I hope you all remembered to wear your sunblock.”
The Pearls made a cogent argument against the Obama administration’s stance on the trial venue. ”The international community has given America a moral mandate to fight the new epidemic with all the necessary instruments, including a new court system and new legal regimes. The decision to try the arch-symbols of terror in ordinary criminal court, using traditional legal instruments, constitutes a betrayal of that mandate.”
The two-hour program was led by radio personality Steve Malzberg. War veterans, parents of war veterans, New York City firefighters, and survivors of the September 11th attacks all presented passionate, yet reasoned arguments against the trial venue decision. The crowd broke into spontaneous chants of “U.S.A.” and “Holder Must Go” at various points. The cheers were loud, but applause was somewhat muted. It’s difficult to clap when one hand is holding an umbrella.
Founder of the Guardian Angels and quintessential New Yorker Curtis Sliwa whipped up the crowd’s anger with a vivid reminder that by trying Khalid and his co-conspirators in federal court, the government is affording them the rights they denied to nearly 3,000 people and allowing them the opportunity to grandstand for their twisted ideology.
Andrew McCarthy, a former federal prosecutor, pointed out that war criminals belong in military courts and should be subject to military justice. A montage of moments from Holder’s recent painful appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee was played to the crowd on a JumboTron screen, and it was a sad reminder of the fact that the Obama administration’s plan to deal with terrorists is fundamentally flawed.
The crowd was encouraged to contact their congressional representatives at the earliest opportunity to reverse the trial venue decision. It would be a good start toward getting back on track with fighting the war against radical Islamic fundamentalism.
BarryS // Dec 7, 2009 at 1:09 pm
That “Protest” was about 20 people on my NY network. I guess Fox will say there were 50000 there
Most were disgruntled family members. They did not show the thousands of families that support the policy.
rickbrownell // Dec 7, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Ill freely admit that I’m not the best judge of estimating the size of crowds. However, from what I saw at the rally from under my umbrella, I would guess that the crowd definitely numbered into the hundreds.
How did you come by your estimate, BarryS?
BarryS // Dec 7, 2009 at 1:58 pm
By watching the local nightly news.
BarryS // Dec 7, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Not many of those interviewed had New York accents. Some were obviously astroturfers. There were some 9/11 family members there not sure how many.
RioRancho // Dec 7, 2009 at 2:48 pm
If what you are showing in those pictures is the “full display” of the “growing public outrage” about the KSM trial, then the Obama administration has nothing to worry about.
Our courts have convicted 195 terrorists since 9/11. Meanwhile, there have been only three successful prosecutions of terrorists by military commissions over that same period; two of those found guilty were released in less than a year.
balconesfault // Dec 7, 2009 at 3:35 pm
The Pearls made a cogent argument against the Obama administration’s stance on the trial venue. ”The international community has given America a moral mandate to fight the new epidemic with all the necessary instruments, including a new court system and new legal regimes.
Really? The international community gave us that moral mandate? When? Where? How?
And even were this somehow true, since when do conservatives take direction on the powers vested to our Executive Branch under the US Constitution from “the international community”?
Founder of the Guardian Angels and quintessential New Yorker Curtis Sliwa whipped up the crowd’s anger with a vivid reminder that by trying Khalid and his co-conspirators in federal court, the government is affording them the rights they denied to nearly 3,000 people
That is essentially what every common murderer does – deny the rights of their victims. Sliwa is making a pitch for every violent criminal (and by extension, every alleged violent criminal, and every one our current court system would prosecute as aiding and abetting in a violent crime) being tried outside our judicial system.
Andrew McCarthy, a former federal prosecutor, pointed out that war criminals belong in military courts and should be subject to military justice.
Note the dangerous pathway here – because “terrorist” = “war criminal” … and at the same time, we have legislation that basically states “terrorist” = “whatever lawbreaker the Federal Government wants to label as a terrorist”.
That should scare the hell out of every civil libertarian.
jakester // Dec 7, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Another dumb idea from Obama which does NOTHING positive for anyone. While I decry the mindless accusations of sinister motives of Obama, I can’t think of one positive reason for this trial which will bloom into an expensive, possibly dangerous circus. Holder is a fool.
jakester // Dec 7, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Ignoring the protest’s numbers and rheoteric, most Americans are against the trial as well as it is unnecessary. Meanwhile we have to pretend that Islamofascists like the Saudis are our friends and allies.
RioRancho // Dec 7, 2009 at 4:28 pm
jakester: Our courts have convicted 195 terrorists since 9/11. Meanwhile, there have been only three successful prosecutions of terrorists by military commissions over that same period; two of those found guilty were released in less than a year.
teabag // Dec 7, 2009 at 4:54 pm
“most Americans are against the trial as well as it is unnecessary.”
Please prove this assertion. I have seen no polls on this subject. Rasmussen does not count as a pollster as they are tied to the GOP.
CentristNYer // Dec 7, 2009 at 5:46 pm
teabag // Dec 7, 2009 at 4:54 pm
“I have seen no polls on this subject. Rasmussen does not count as a pollster as they are tied to the GOP.”
In fact, a recent poll in New York showed New Yorkers slightly favoring holding the trials here.
RioRancho // Dec 7, 2009 at 5:52 pm
I do not care to live in a country where polling has an influence one way or another on the functioning of the justice system.
frankhagan.com » Show Trial // Dec 7, 2009 at 6:06 pm
[...] decision led to a large rally in opposition this past weekend, as chronicled in the FrumForum: The growing public outrage over Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to try the 9/11 plotters [...]
sinz54 // Dec 8, 2009 at 9:21 am
teabag: Rasmussen does not count as a pollster as they are tied to the GOP.
PROVE IT!
sinz54 // Dec 8, 2009 at 9:24 am
teabag: I have seen no polls on this subject.
Now you have:
Should KSM be tried in New York or somewhere else?
42%: New York
51%: Somewhere else
Should KSM be tried in a civilian court or a military court?
36%: Civilian court
59% Military court
http://www.gallup.com/poll/124493/americans-odds-recent-terror-trial-decisions.aspx
A majority of Americans do NOT support the decision by Holder to try the terrorists in a civilian court in NY.
Or are you now going to claim that Gallup also works for the GOP?
sinz54 // Dec 8, 2009 at 9:25 am
Holder’s decision to try the terrorists in a civilian court in NYC was a bow to the leftists here in America and in Europe.
I don’t want the American system of justice to be used to soothe the rumpled feelings of leftists.
RioRancho // Dec 8, 2009 at 9:50 am
sinz, given that our courts have convicted 195 terrorists since 9/11, and there have been only three successful prosecutions of terrorists by military commissions over that same period; two of those found guilty were released in less than a year – what other choice was there?
teabag // Dec 8, 2009 at 9:59 am
IT’s well known that Rasmussen are right orientated pollsters. They constantly produce outlier polls way to the right of anything the more reputable pollsters produce.
They do this for 23 months out of each cycle and then go back to a normal role during national elections. So they get a decent rep for nationwide races and can push the GOP line the rest of the time.
If they are not biased why are they so far out of the mainstream polling?
sinz54 // Dec 9, 2009 at 9:36 am
RioRancho: what other choice was there?
Holder ALSO announced that the terrorists who attacked the U.S.S. Cole will be tried by military commission.
Can YOU defend that choice?
Holder made the lame claim that oh, well, the World Trade Center was a civilian target, while the U.S.S. Cole was a military target. Evidently he forgot that on 9-11, the third hijacked jetliner plowed into the World Trade Center and killed over 100 military personnel, far more than the 17 who died on the U.S.S. Cole.
sinz54 // Dec 9, 2009 at 9:36 am
Oops, I meant that the third hijacked jetliner plowed into the Pentagon.
ottovbvs // Dec 9, 2009 at 10:15 am
sinz54 // Dec 8, 2009 at 9:21 am
teabag:
Rasmussen does not count as a pollster as they are tied to the GOP.
PROVE IT!
…….we don’t need to prove Ras is a partisan pollster because it’s self evident……Scott has clearly decided there’s a market for a product that notionally tilts the playing field to the right and he provides it…..it’s unprovable but fairly obvious……he also doesn’t provide a lot of cross tabs so it’s harder to find the fingerprints but they are there alright………and don’t play the old chestnut about last years election results…….he consistently understated the level of Obama’s support until about a week before the election and then suddenly his results converged with everyone elses.
RioRancho // Dec 9, 2009 at 2:25 pm
sinz54, no, I can’t.