Terror Trials Back on the Radar
[Guest post by DRJ]
The Washington Post reports President Obama will get more involved in decisions regarding the 9/11 terror trials, and military tribunals may still be an option:
“Administration officials said the decision will be made soon.
Obama gave little clue about how the administration will proceed when he was asked Sunday about the trial. But he made clear that, in a shift from last year, he is now part of the decision-making process, saying in a CBS interview that Manhattan was still an option. “I have not ruled it out,” Obama said.
If the White House is unable to find a civilian court where the Mohammed trial can be held, and if the political pressure continues, the administration may be forced to shift to a military commission.”
The report confirmed Attorney General Eric Holder decided to try the 9/11 and other terrorists in civilian court:
“Senior White House officials said that the decision to try Mohammed in New York was Holder’s and that no single person in the administration was responsible for handling the politics of that choice. In an effort to avoid leaks, Holder kept the decision close in the days leading up to his Nov. 13 news conference, calling New York officeholders that day to inform them. Several New York officials said they have dealt exclusively with Holder, first during the rollout of the announcement and more recently as he struggles to find another venue.”
The Obama Administration trotted out its standard explanation for its difficulties to date — that it didn’t talk enough to the American public:
“Officials across the administration recognize that they have been slow to respond, defend and communicate their position, prompting a flurry of forceful comments over the past week.”
However, Attorney General Holder also implicitly acknowledged he did a poor job coordinating his decision with other officials and agencies:
“Holder reflected on his first year as the nation’s top law enforcement official and the nature of his interaction with the White House on counterterrorism, his top priority.
“What I’ve tried to do is re-establish the department in the way that it has always been seen at its best, as an agency that is independent, given the unique responsibilities that it has,” he said. “But to be truly effective in the national security sphere, you’ve got to involve partners outside this building. To make decisions the AG has to make, you have to involve the commander in chief and these other people. I’m part of the national security team in a way that I’m not involved in the environmental resources team, the civil rights team.”
Somehow I doubt Holder will be pilloried for his mistakes the way Bush Administration officials were for theirs.
Meanwhile, Jennifer Rubin skewers the Obama Administration, especially John Brennan, for its ideological approach to national security:
“The problem here, which Sessions, Mukasey, Burck, and Perino (as well as countless others) have spotted, is that the Obami let their lefty lawyers’ ideology go unchecked, interfering with the primary duty of the administration, namely to gather information and prevent further attacks on Americans. That is inexcusable. No amount of fakery or misdirection by Obama’s advisers can conceal that.”
Indeed.
— DRJ
Just how many times does he think he gets to redo this stuff?
SPQR (26be8b) — 2/12/2010 @ 8:40 pmSure would be nice if Obama gave up on the stupid government run health care crap and get on the Iranian crisis. But stupid is as stupid does.
bill-tb (541ea9) — 2/12/2010 @ 8:43 pmDoes anyone really believe that Holder made the initial decision without Barcky’s input or approval?
JD (cb9226) — 2/12/2010 @ 8:46 pmnor will it stop the myriad of myrmidons that blindly defend, support and proselytize the breathtaking incompetence that is the hallmark of Ear Leader’s incipient failure.
you’ll see them here shortly in all their predictability.
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 2/12/2010 @ 9:09 pmo is still trying to vote present.
Jim (582155) — 2/12/2010 @ 9:54 pmMike Mukasey delivered a heckuva smackdown in today’s WaPo to Obama, Holder and Brennan.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/11/AR2010021103331.html
daleyrocks (718861) — 2/12/2010 @ 10:30 pmStuart Taylor at National Journal is doing bang-up work on this topic as well. He has crucified Holder two weeks in a row in his Friday column. And Taylor is no right-wing knuckle-dragger.
shipwreckedcrew (3d3fb8) — 2/13/2010 @ 1:27 am#3, JD, you ask the key question. Eric Holder obviously didn’t make the decision to try KSM in NY City. A decision of that magnitude is way above Holder’s pay grade. Holder is fulfilling his usual role of fall guy. He did it for Bill Clinton in the Marc Rich pardon scandal, and he’s doing it now for Obama.
Barack Hussein Obama made that decision and no one else. Holder is lying to protect his boss.
ropelight (4b5454) — 2/13/2010 @ 6:37 amSince everyone’s conveniently forgotten, the 1993 WTC bombers were tried – in civilian court – and imprisoned – in a civilian prison.
That said, it’s time to try KSH – anywhere – and put the bastard away. The administration needs to make up their minds.
JEA (dffa7e) — 2/13/2010 @ 6:52 amConveniently forgot? How about that was a bad idea then and a bad idea now.
JD (d4820c) — 2/13/2010 @ 7:12 amOooooh, he’s going to get more involved! Well, that’s a relief. Now things will really get done. I’d say we’d be better off if he just vacationed for the next three years.
People's Front of Judea (44bf37) — 2/13/2010 @ 7:58 am“Since everyone’s conveniently forgotten, the 1993 WTC bombers were tried – in civilian court – and imprisoned – in a civilian prison.”
JEA – Prosecutors involved in that trial are recommending using military tribunals this time you moron.
daleyrocks (718861) — 2/13/2010 @ 8:05 am> No amount of fakery or misdirection by Obama’s advisers can conceal that.
No, but assiduous “Nothing to see here, move along, move along…” by the LSM propagandi can certainly prevent the usual gawkers at a train wreck.
IgotBupkis (79d71d) — 2/13/2010 @ 1:33 pm>>>> “Since everyone’s conveniently forgotten, the 1993 WTC bombers were tried – in civilian court – and imprisoned – in a civilian prison.”
> JEA – Prosecutors involved in that trial are recommending using military tribunals this time you moron.
More critically, we all should recall how well that all turned out to work.
Yeah, let’s have more of that kind of trial!
“Absolut JEAnyus”
IgotBupkis (79d71d) — 2/13/2010 @ 1:45 pmGod help us all.
JHE (9284aa) — 2/13/2010 @ 2:34 pm