Opinion
To participate in future surveys, please click here.
November 22, 2009
Question:
Should 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed and other conspirators be tried in a New York civilian court?
Response:
NO: 65% -- YES: 35% - Total Responses - 190
'No' Responses
Absolutely not. He is a known terrorist who declared war on this country and should be tried as a war criminal.
Ken Criss, 27023
Absolutely not. Why should we give a world stage to mock our country?
Jeff Davis, 27292
And allow him to create one of the greatest sideshows on earth? And also force the CIA and others to reveal our secret data-gathering techniques to the world? Do you really have to ask?
Jim Zelar, 27106
Absolutely not. They are not U.S. civilians and their act was an act of war and therefore falls under war regulations and protocols.
Wes Patterson, 27106
Another minimization of the war on terror by the Obama administration. Talk about not ready for prime time.
John Read, 27106
Anywhere but New York City; they shouldn't be allowed anywhere near Ground Zero.
Dave Kleylein Sr., 27019
Are they American civilians? A jury of their peers? Are they going to go find 12 terrorists to sit on a jury?
Leanne Phagan, 27127
I think they should be tried in a secret location (if possible) and in a smaller town where security would be stronger. Less area to cover would be a help.
Larry Shouse, 27106
Let's just keep torturing his type in some third-world dungeon. After all, that is the (new) American way, right?
Michael Weaver, 27127
Given the wide-spread publicity of the 9/11 event, it is unlikely that an unbiased jury could be selected anywhere in the United States (especially New York City).
Bob Skees, 28697
They should be tried by a military court -- too many bleeding hearts in the civilian courts would probably find them not guilty by reason of their mamas didn't love them enough or some other psychobabble reason.
Franklin Williams, 27107
It's too dangerous to have the trials here.
Susan Euliss, 28651
Bringing the 9/11 conspirators to New York City desecrates our American soil and is by far the worst bone-headed move yet from this administration. These Islamofascists will exploit this trial to mock our system of justice.
Andy Dale, 27106
He should never be in court. He should have been dispatched long ago.
Robert Dockery, 27106
Honestly, I don't think that they would get a fair trial. Sept. 12 brings about such emotion, and if it was a jury trial, there would be a huge potential for the jury to be biased. I know that I would be.
Thelma Floyd, 27106
I can't believe we're even asking the question. He will get better treatment than our brave CIA agents, who have kept us safe for eight years (until the Fort Hood incident).
Dorothy Smith, 27012
I have no problem with them being tried within the continental United States, just not in New York City.
Michael Moulton, 27107
I think it has been determined that the war is a military action, not a police action. As such, all trials pertaining to 9/11 should take place in military courts.
Wendell Burton, 27006
I think we should maintain a fair and consistent judiciary process no matter what the crime. We have to provide the model for democracy that we have been known for worldwide.
Willard Bass, 27101
If they were captured as part of a military operation, a military court seems more appropriate.
Mark Haynes, 27284
It really makes no difference because I do not think Khalid Sheik Mohammed will ever be executed for the murder of over 3,000 innocent Americans. An execution of a person with the name "Mohammed" would be politically incorrect.
Pat Blankenship, 27104
No. They should be tried in a military court. If they're tried in a New York civilian court, it would be a media circus.
Cheryl Wray, 27048
No, these terrorists should not be given the same rights as the Americans. It would be an insult to all of the innocent Americans killed in the 9/11 attacks.
Shirley Pennington, 27106
He should be tried by a military court. His acts were acts of war.
Roy Benjamin, 28607
No. They are military combatants and as such, not deserving of the protection of a trial as set forth in the Constitution. They should be tried in a military court as terrorists.
John Dillard, 27106
President Obama is doing this just to embarrass the previous president. It's a terrible idea. They cannot be convinced in U.S. civilian courts under our constitutional law. All evidence will be thrown out and they will be set free.
Karen Harris, 27107
The defense team will try to get all evidence thrown out. There will be Islamic protestors making a circus of the proceedings. And it will make New York City a huge target for another terror attack. The trial will be a travesty.
Linda Diorio, 27103
These are acts of war and should be handled by the military. The only reason the Obama administration is moving this to U.S. soil is to put the Bush administration on trial.
Denson Mabe, 27284
Unfortunately, the idiocy of the question coupled with the apparent suicidal tendencies of the American Left only show how incredibly far we've fallen as a nation.
Mike Bormann, 27284
‘Yes' Responses
Absolutely, if that is where they will get the death penalty.
Sylvia Hamby, 27127
Absolutely. It would send a clear signal to the rest of the world that our justice system works, and that we don't need political cowboys circumventing the Constitution.
J. Chris Bourdier, 27012
And if they are found guilty, they can hang them from the top of a skyscraper for a while.
Walt Bowen, 27284
By all means, and announce the days, the time and the location, and then release them under their own recognizance after the first day.
Jack Maginnis, 27127
I think they should be tried in New York. People can feel what happened and will do the right thing by punishing them hard.
Elizabeth Ervin, 27101
If it is necessary to abridge his legal rights for purposes of national security, and I can see that might be necessary, we should be willing to do so openly. We should be confident that we can support our position.
Jim Crabtree, 27028
If Khalid is tried in the United States, it should certainly be in a civilian court. Military justice hasn't served us well for many years running. But what's wrong with the International Criminal Court in The Hague? Our arrogance, perhaps?
Guy Neal Williams, 27106
If someone could give me a coherent reason why not, I might reconsider. What is everybody so scared about? We are not going to let him travel about while he is in New York City.
Lindsey Betty, 27106
If we have become so fearful and so doubtful of justice under our Constitution that al-Qaida will not be tried in a New York civilian court, then al-Qaida has won.
Bernard Appleton, 27012
It was a criminal conspiracy, not a state-sponsored military operation. Thus, the public civilian court is proper, especially since the federal courts can protect national security information (they showed the military courts how to do it).
John Motsinger, 27051
It's time to show the world American justice as designed by our Founding Fathers and not hide behind the shadow of military tribunals.
Bob Lohmeyer, 27103
These individuals are no more dangerous than many of the other thugs or gang members who are tried in federal or state courts.
Tom Lynge, 27107
Rule of law. These ideologues are not a government or state against which to prosecute a war. They are individuals and should be subject to prosecution like any other mass murderer.
Andrew Moore, 27012
There were 190 responses.
To participate in future surveys, please fillout the form below completely and weigh in on the important current issues. We will not send you any other emails other than our weekly survey.
