Khalid Sheik Mohammed -- the self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks -- along with four co-defendants will be tried in federal court in New York instead of a military commission, U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. announced Friday. Prosecutors will likely seek the death penalty for the five defendants.
Attorney General Eric Holder told reporters at the Justice Department,
“After eight years of delay, those allegedly responsible for the attacks of September the 11th will finally face justice. They will be brought to New York—New York — to answer for their alleged crimes in a courthouse just blocks from where the twin towers once stood.”
The decision to try the suspected terrorists in a civilian federal court dramatically raises the profile of the trial and also increases the political stakes for President Obama in the outcome of the trial.
Politico speculates that if the trial veers off course in any unexpected way, Obama is likely to get the blame. This could mean dealing with angry family members of Sept. 11 victims, or with Al Qaeda members using the trial for propoganda. Also in the mix, is Obama's stance on Guantanamo. The decision to have the trial in civilian court is seen as part of President Obama's quest to close the military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. However, many Americans remain skeptical about bringing any Guantanamo prisoners to the U.S.
(via Politico)
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