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Giuliani Livid Over Bringing 9/11 Trials to NYC
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 15, 2009
Modified Nov 15, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 15, 2009
Modified Nov 15, 2009
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Former mayor Rudy Giuliani made the talk show rounds this morning to denounce the Obama administration's decision to try five accused 9/11 plotters—including mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed—in New York City's federal court. On Fox News Sunday, Giuliani said the White House was "repeating the mistake of history" and had reverted to a "pre-9/11 approach... What the Obama administration is telling us loud and clear is that both in substance and reality, the War on Terror from their point of view is over. [Mohammad] should be tried in a military tribunal. He is a war criminal. This is an act of war."
Giuiliani added, "Of course it's going to create more security concerns. Just wait and see how much New York City spends on this in order to protect him. This gives all the benefits to the terrorists and much less benefits to the public." The NY Post's cover story is about the security needed: "National Guardsmen will be placed at major transportation hubs while the NYPD will close off subway entrances near the federal courthouse and intensify bag searches throughout the system, the sources said. Marshals will be shipped in from out of town and snipers placed on roofs nearby the courthouse, where a death-penalty trial is likely."
The former mayor also appeared on This Week and CNN's State of the Union to hammer home his point—here's a clip from State of the Union:
Politico points out that previously Giuliani had supported using civilian courts to try terrorists—but let's face it, he said all that before 9/11. Mayor Bloomberg supports the decision for the trial to come to NYC, "It is fitting that 9/11 suspects face justice near the World Trade Center site where so many New Yorkers were murdered. We have hosted terrorism trials before, including the trial of Omar Abdel-Rahman, the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing... I have great confidence that the NYPD, with federal authorities, will handle security expertly. The NYPD is the best police department in the world and it has experience dealing with high-profile terrorism suspects and any logistical issues that may come up during the trials."
Tagged
9/11
9/11 attack
khalid sheikh mohammed
rudy giuliani
September 11 attacks
terror
terror trial
trial
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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