CNN’s Andrea Mitchell is reporting that Senator Dianne Feinstein (D - CA) now agrees with New York’s Mayor Mike Bloomberg about not trying confessed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in New York City. The New York Daily News is also reporting that Senator Chuck Schumer (D - NY) and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D - NY) are also open to alternative sites other than New York’s lower Manhattan federal court.
According to Ms. Mitchell, Ms. Feinstein is also calling on President Obama to change course on the issue as well. Attorney General Eric Holder, the main decision maker for placing the 9/11 terror trials in New York City, also received a letter from Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D - NY) on her concerns.:
The mayor said holding the trial at a military base makes sense. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand say they’re receptive to alternative sites Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D - Brooklyn) wrote Attorrney General Eric Holder to say the trial would harm businesses.
New York Governor David Paterson (D) is also pushing to move the trials out of the city as well.:
Mayor Bloomberg, who first supported the plan, reversed himself Wednesday and said it would be glad to see it moved somewhere else.
Gov. Paterson said Thursday there needs to be “some suitable alternatives that would fall within the court’s jurisdiction but for the public at large would be a better place to hold the actual trial.”
Rep. Anthony Weiner (D - NY), however, told the Washington Times last night that he still supports holding the trial in Manhattan.:
“The mayor needs to speak to his own decision about it. I think we’re having a terrorist trial now in New York City, and it’s not disrupting very much.”
The Washington Times Water Cooler has been following the support on this matter for a while now. GOP members have been critical of placing the 9/11 terror trials in New York City since Mr. Holder made his announcement back in November. The Washington Times has contacted the Department of Justice regarding the loss of support over the KSM terror trial and is waiting on a response.
