Court Trial or Circus

The Attorney General, Eric Holder announced today the five indicted 9-11 co-conspirators including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, will be tried in New York City. My initial reaction was lets make it short and sweet! Guantanamo Bay has the facilities and the personnel to try everybody. There is no reason to make exceptions. The costs of transportation, security and trial is enough to trump any show by authorities of trial at the "scene of the crime", let alone the heartache for the victims and citizens of New York.

But there is much more to be considered. Only a fool would dismiss the media attention this trial will bring and the reaction of Muslim extremists throughout the world. It is my opinion this could also be a pretense for the Obama administration to put the Bush "war on terror" policies on trial. The defense attorneys will exploit these issues. Keep in mind the former CIA Director George Tenet stated that KSM was not "mirandized" until months after his capture in March 2003 after he had confessed. Therefore, this issue is going to be forefront along with the legalities of water boarding and the actions of the CIA.

The mention of the CIA brings into question Attorney General Holders' quest to prosecute CIA operatives for these very issues. This is the same person who under the Clinton Administration pardoned Marc Rich; succeeded in clemency for 16 Puerto Rican members of a terrorist organization linked by the FBI to more than 130 bombings and six murders, and then earlier this year dropped charges on a Black Panther group who blocked and intimidated voters in a Philadelphia voting precinct.

Remember that the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui, another 9-11 conspirator took 4 years to be tried and sentenced. It would not be hard to believe and expect that these trials could stretch just as long through legal maneuvering. The last point that I want to make is that if these trials end up in acquittal because of legal standards of proof, or that a more liberal federal court disallows their pleas due to illegally obtained confessions, I believe the outrage of the Nation will guarantee a one term Presidency.