As federal officials searched for a location for the trial of the September 11th terror attack suspects, the Obama administration reportedly offered Saturday a $200 million fund for security costs for any city willing to host the trial.
Sources told the Associated Press that the money will be included in the president’s budget, which will be released Monday.
The news came after the Obama administration decided to abandon its original plan to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-confessed mastermind of the September 11th terrorist attacks, and four other alleged terrorists at the federal courthouse on Pearl Street in Lower Manhattan.
The NYPD estimated that security for the trial, which could run for three to five years, would cost more than $200 million every year.
In recent days, New York elected officials almost unanimously expressed serious concern over holding the trial in the city.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who initially backed holding the trial in the city, cited this week the potential disruption to residents and businesses, and said the strain on police resources as reasons the trial should be moved.
Governor David Paterson, who opposed the plan from the start, said holding the trial elsewhere is the right move.
“We asked the federal government and they are listening. As the president said in his state of the union address, ‘I’m listening.’ And they did listen to us yesterday,” said the governor on Friday.
Some of the other locations floated for the trial are the United States Military Academy at West Point, the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, N.Y. and Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, N.Y.
Mayor Nicholas Valentine of Newburgh said he would be happy to host the trial in his city’s newly-remodeled city courthouse.
“I’m just asking for a fair shake to be in the mix. And also saying that, in the end, with the tourists, with the amount of people coming here and the amount of media coverage, Newburgh would truly be on the map,” said Valentine.
Valentine also said he would like to see a federal aid package if the city hosts the trials.
(Source: NY1)
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6 Responses
my husband said well host it in our house!! 🙂
How about offering to reopen Guatanamo Bay and executing all of the prisoners as soon as possible?
Pray tell me why we are even spending a dime on this creep. He is a Rotzeiach in the first degree and admittedly guilty. Why not just do to him what his country would do (and has done) to an American if the case were reverse??
The trial should take place in Gitmo because he is not a common criminal even though Fearless Leader thinks he is. He didnt hold up a candy store. He is a TERRORIST!! ENEMY COMBATANT!!
1085 days left till Jan 20, 2013.
This is a rip-off of federal taxpayers (okay, the benefit is for the local taxpayers, who probably feel especially needy especially if they live in New York with its tax and spend government).
If the jail and courthouse are Federal facilities, the Federal government is totally responsible for security, as well as 100% of the costs of the trial. At most, the local cops have to direct traffic.
I believe some upstate cities have already expressed interest (okay, they would have to rent out a courthouse but for $200 million?????).
Of course given the way the current administration spends money, why not hand out some more? It will only take a few minutes for Uncle Ben at the Fed to run it off his presses.
akuperma, you haven’t addressed a previous point I made about your Holocaust historical revisionism. Mind discussing now?