Monday, February 1, 2010

How much will the trial of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed cost?

Senator Dianne Feinstein argues in a letter to President Obama that the trial of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed should be moved out of New York City "to a less prominent, less costly, and equally secure location.”   Feinstein writes:
First, the concerns of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other local government officials should be taken seriously. The mayor’s concerns, raised earlier this week in a departure from his initial views, focused on the costs associated with the trial....
Certainly, New Yorkers should not have to bear the anticipated costs of such a trial.   Having endured so much, New Yorkers should neither have to pay dearly for justice, nor be denied it.  A country that will spent hundreds of billions of dollars fighting terrorism with guns can surely afford to pay the relatively small cost of fighting terrorism with Justice.

Feinstein's letter continues:
... the terrorist threat to the United States remains high. Without getting into classified details, I believe we should view the attempted Christmas Day plot as a continuation, not an end, of plots to strike the United States by al-Qa’ida and its affiliates. Moreover, New York City has been a high-priority target since at least the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993. The trial of the most significant terrorist in custody would add to the threat.

....Our adversaries are capable and adaptive, however, and I believe holding this trial in Manhattan makes their interest in a terrorist attack even stronger.
Politicians like Sen. Feinstein should not propose special arrangements for terrorists.  They need to refrain from using phrases like "our adversaries" when describing terrorists.  Most of all, they need to stop scaring people.

Where does Sen. Feinstein's logic lead?  How many other events should New York forsake holding out of fear of tempting terrorists to target the city?  The purpose of terrorism, after all, is to terrorize.

A great nation equates mere outlaws with soldiers at its peril.  To her credit Feinstein opposes military tribunals.  A worse option than moving the trials, military tribunals dignify terrorists and ennoble their cause.

If the government were to treat suspected 9/11 terrorists as it would any other suspected criminals, this would help to dis-empower terrorists. That's why I think regardless of the cost, irrespective of fear, every effort should be made to bring Khalid Shaikh Mohammed to justice in a jurisdiction where the crimes occurred.

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