About-Face: Mayor Wants Terror Trial Out Of NY

In a serious blow to President Obama’s ludicrous plan to try the self-described mastermind of the September 11 terrorist attacks in Manhattan, New York’s mayor has done an about-face asserting he doesn’t want the trial in his city after initially supporting the idea. 

Trying the Al-Qaeda leader (Khalid Sheikh Mohammed) and four co-defendants in a lower Manhattan federal court will cost an astounding $1 billion for security, negatively impact traffic and severely disrupt commerce and life in general for the city’s more than 8 million residents, Bloomberg now says.

The highly popular Democrat suggests a military base is a more appropriate venue to try Mohammed and his terrorist cohorts. Mohammed is considered to be Al-Qaeda’s most successful operator for planning and executing the hugest attack in U.S. history in 2001. The U.S.-educated Al-Qaeda chief proudly took credit for the atrocities in a statement to the Middle Eastern news network Al-Jazeera.

Mohammed’s confession is also featured in a Pentagon transcript of a military hearing in which he claims responsibility for the attacks on the World Trade Center twin towers and the Pentagon. “I was responsible for the 9/11 operation, from A to Z,” he says. He also confessed to a list of terrorist attacks as well as the planning of a second wave of post 9/11 plots throughout the U.S. and England. 

When Attorney General Eric Holder shocked the country—and many lawmakers—by announcing he would try Mohammed in a civilian Manhattan court, Bloomberg cheered the move which was backed by President Obama as an important demonstration of American justice. “It is fitting that 9/11 suspects face justice near the World Trade Center site, where so many New Yorkers were murdered,” Bloomberg said then. 

That was before constituents, including influential Wall Street executives and real estate industry groups, had an opportunity to express their outrage. Additionally, a respected Lower Manhattan community board unanimously voted to have the controversial trial moved after considering all the facts.  

In the interest of national security, Judicial Watch promptly called on President Obama to overrule Holder’s decision—a dangerous mistake—to try the terrorists in civilian court. Mohammed should remain in military custody, be kept outside the United States and be brought to justice in the military tribunal system.