Trial of 9/11 Conspirators Belongs in NYC Federal Court, Not Military Tribunal

Plans to hold the death-penalty trial of the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and four alleged conspirators in a New York City federal courtroom less than one mile from Ground Zero rather than a military tribunal have sparked intense political debate.

Democrats and supporters of President Barack Obama say it’s about time the United States put the men accused of killing thousands of Americans in the worst-ever terrorist attack on U.S. on trial in civilian court, after years of holding the men in federal custody at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. For many observers, the move is a symbolic departure from the administration of President George W. Bush, who oversaw the rounding up and incarceration of thousands of accused terrorists, most of whom were held without formal charges or court proceedings.

Republicans and opponents of the President and Attorney General Eric Holder are crying foul and saying holding the trial in federal court would endanger the public and give the terrorists a public platform from which to spout their anti-American views. Some critics claim the move is “dangerous, misguided and unnecessary.”

NYC Trial Makes Sense

It’s a logical move to hold the trial in New York City, the area hardest hit by the attacks and the demolition of the World Trade Center towers and other buildings. In criminal cases held all over the United States, people accused of murder, rape, and other horrible crimes are put on trial in front of juries of their peers. Why should Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and the four others be treated any differently?

“New York was one of the primary targets of the September 11 attacks,” said Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), according to a UPI news report. “Those who perpetuated the attack should be tried there. They should answer for their brutality and for the murder of thousands of innocent Americans.”

Security during the trial should not be an issue, as the New York federal courts and local authorities are well equipped to ensure the safety of both the defendants and the public during the trial. Sadly, housing and prosecuting international and domestic terrorists is nothing new to federal prosecutors, since the federal Bureau of Prisons already houses more than 300 people convicted of such crimes, Holder said.

Five other terrorist suspects are set to be tried by U.S. military tribunals, but for Mohammed and the other high-profile accused terrorists implicated in the attacks, we agree with Leahy and other supporters of the civilian trial plan.

We say enough with the smoke-and-mirrors legal tactics and shady handling of the prosecution of the 9/11 crimes. A fair and just trial held in New York City could go a long way toward closing this tragic chapter in U.S. history.

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