A GALLOWS AT GROUND ZERO...?
Friday, November 13, 2009 at 06:54PM 
So what do we make of the news that the alleged 9/11 mastermind is to be transferred from Guantanamo to New York for a trial in which the death penalty will be sought?
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others would be tried in a civilian court near Ground Zero, the attorney general said. Five other Guantanamo detainees would face military trials, Eric Holder said. The move is part of US President Barack Obama's efforts to close Guantanamo, but some relatives of 9/11 victims say they oppose a federal court trial.
It should prove interesting to see how these court case progresses but in the end, I would like to see Mohammed found guilty, sentenced to death, and hung at Ground Zero. Nothing personal, y'know. However whether a CIVIL court can handle terrorist cases of this magnitude remains to be seen.
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Reader Comments (24)
How nice of Obama to bring this pig to my city and to enhance the terror threat profile one more notch.
Very interested in NY opinion, Phantom. What are the folks saying about this?
I'm afraid it will be the US on trial.
Here is a link to a petition that the 9/11 families are putting together to deliver to Obamses. (I love that: Obamses..) The letter strongly objects to trying these terrorists in civilian courts.
Petition.
Yesterday - they had 1,000 signatures. Today, they have over 43,000 signatures.
I signed it. I stand with the families of 9/11 victims.
Obamses won't listen - but what the hell.
Monica
I don't know why we didn't honor their fervent requests for immediate martyrdom after they bragged about their complicity.
I'm sure we could have found more than a few New Yorkers who would have been happy to supply the rope.
BBC Radio 5 Live had a shock this evening. They interviewed a retired New York firefighter whose firefighter son was lost on 9/11. Clearly expecting a thankful eulogy to the wise Obamses, they got the opposite. You could hear the collective "uh-huhs" in the studio.
That retired firefighter wants KSM nowhere near New York, let alone a couple of blocks Ground Zero.
I'm sure we could have found more than a few New Yorkers who would have been happy to supply the rope.
Pesky nuisance - that rule of law thing, dontchathink?
From the Constitution of the United States of America
The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Congress may by Law have directed.
FewsOranges
Hold your support for the Constitution extends to all areas.
Oh right, the Left has discovered the Constitution.
It's going to be a busy weekend over there shutting down most of the federal gummint.
Oh right, the Left has discovered the Constitution
And the Right shows how shallow its support for the constitution really is. Only a public lynching will satisfy them.
Peter -
I believe DV asked a pertinent question - will this new found love for the Constitution extend to all areas?
David
Sorry, was away. Saw my niece play Lady Macbeth in a punk rock influenced high school production of " Macbeth " in New Jersey.. Great show and she scared the hell out of me!
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I can only speak for myself here - I suspect that many New Yorkers will be enraged by this, for many reasons including
--exposing these people to an erratic US Court system. Where it is not impossible that these men will tell blood curdling tales of mistreatment, and who will try to make this a show trial in reverse against the US and the evil debbil GW Bush
--esposing New York City even more as a target for Muslim jihadi terrorists For weeks, months and years, these trials will be on Terror TV ( Al Jazeera ) whipping up anti US sentiment and mentioning NYC very prominently. We have not had terrorist attacks in New York since 2001. which is astonishing when you think about it. I fully expect them now, within two years. I will hold Obama partially responsible when it happens.
Not everyone is a brain dead liberal in this town, and I expect many here, including many Democrats to feel most betrayed by this decision.
it is a lie to say that this is an ordinary criminal case.
Obama and Eric Holder painted a neon target on my city and my country earlier today. This means war. Obama has declared himself as the enemy. Yes, I said it, and yes I mean it.
Good night.
Phantom
I understand your anger but surely to say we can't have a trial in New York in case it attracts terrorism to the city again is an act of weakness. You should never allow the threat of terrorism to be the determening factor in cancelling any event.
I'll need to go consult my handy-dandy pocket pamphlet on whether the Constitution actually covers enemy combatants captured on a battlefield...
Troll
Consult your own common sense to determin if these murderers should be given the dignified status of enemy combatants.
Colm
The civilian courts are a completely inappropriate venue for the situation here. That is the larger issue. They could well be freed by an idiot judge or by an OJ Jury. The supposedly intelligent Obama should understand this.
This is an attempt to stymie justice, not to enable it.
And Obama is a coward by having this announced by AG Holder, the mastermind behind the freeing of the FALN terrorists, while Obama is off somewhere in Japan.
Phantom
Are you saying that your country's criminal law system stymies justice rather than enables it ?
"Obama and Eric Holder painted a neon target on my city and my country earlier today. This means war. Obama has declared himself as the enemy. Yes, I said it, and yes I mean it. "
Phantom, sometimes.......
Obama made the correct decision. Faced with the legal and criminal contraints placed on this whole sorry episode by the law breaking neo-cons and the inept Bush administration, this was the better decision.
My sister's neighbour, who lost her husband in the towers, is delighted at the decision ( i think she may have been on some TV station last night explaining why).
Respect has been given back to the victims and their families, whose loved ones were dragged through neo con lies, distortions and law breaking.
The attacks were common criminal acts, and will be/should be tried as such.
Colm
The US Civil Justice system is completely inappropriate for this type of case
--The defense attorneys will make a big deal about the fact that KSM was waterboarded, and will seek summary dismissal on that basis. Just think of that possibility
-- Defense will seek discussions of intelligence matters in open court
Military courts / tribunals were the appropriate venue for this case.
The move to US Civilian Courts - in NY City, of all places - does not serve the cause of justice, or diplomacy, or security. It will harm all these things.
As I said above, there will be many thinking Democrats who will agree with me on this. Senator Jim Webb of Virginia said yesterday " Bringing Mohammed and the other detainees to New York for trial could be "disruptive, costly, and potentially counterproductive,".
It will be all of those things, and more. With the likes of Holder involved, one wonders if that was the intent.
There will be more on this in the near future.
Phantom
I do appreciate the difficulties risks and complexities that a trial of this nature might cause, but I still disagree with you and consider it the right action to take. The US should not give these individuals the military/martyr/soldier status they themselves identify with. They are common criminal mass murderers and by putting them on civilian trial the US is saying we will never regard you or what you did as anything else.
"--The defense attorneys will make a big deal about the fact that KSM was waterboarded, and will seek summary dismissal on that basis. Just think of that possibility"
As stated, the law breaking, lies and distortions of the Bush Neo Cons have come back to haunt you all, as you were told it would.
" Defense will seek discussions of intelligence matters in open court"
Phantom, could you possibly be so fueled by hate and ideology, that you do not understand all these things have been examined and thought out?
Your posts on this have been quite shocking- reactionary, lacking any logic and putting Troll to shame on other matters, shall we say.
Colm: "The US should not give these individuals the military/martyr/soldier status they themselves identify with. They are common criminal mass murderers and by putting them on civilian trial the US is saying we will never regard you or what you did as anything else."
Spot on, Colm. Well said.
Common criminals is all they are and all they'll ever be.
The Neo-cons on the other hand- well I haven't got around to what their criminal/military status is yet- but these trials will help determine that.
Pinky
You're all emotional on this subject. When you' put aside the cliches and show signs of rational thought, you will receive a response, if I feel like it.
We can see you love Obama. That's not news.
Colm
We disagree
These men are absolutely not common criminals nor are they true soldiers. You need to think this through more.
This is terrorist war with stateless actors, and fighting a new war with defective tools which never contemplated such as situation guarantees failure