As reported in the Washington Post on Friday, February 12, 2010, President Obama is planning to insert himself into the debate about where to try the accused mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, three administration officials said Thursday, signaling a recognition that the administration had mishandled the process and triggered a political backlash.
Obama initially had asked Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to choose the site of the trial in an effort to maintain an independent Justice Department. But the White House has been taken aback by the intense criticism from political opponents and local officials of Holder's decision to try Khalid Sheik Mohammed in a civilian courtroom in New York.
Administration officials acknowledge that Holder and Obama advisers were unable to build political support for the trial. And Holder, in an interview Thursday, left open the possibility that Mohammed's trial could be switched to a military commission, although he said that is not his personal and legal preference.
According to Holder, the location and forum for the trial are not very important. According to the Post, they are so important that the president of the United States is actually getting involved with policy decisions (although come to think of it, isn't that supposed to be part of his job?).
President Obama, his Cabinet and his advisors have been standing in the echo chamber where they can hear only their own voices. That may be the kindest way of phrasing it.
A good friend of mine, a lawyer (not the famous Straw Man we have heard Mr. Obama speak of so often in his speeches), has long insisted that John Yoo and the Bush Administration had over-stepped the Constitution when Gitmo was established and enemy combatants were imprisoned for the duration of hostilities. Mr. Obama campaigned against Gitmo, the War on Terrorism, and the perceived rhetoric of the Far Right Wing of the Republican Party. His first action as Chief Executive was to sign an Executive Order closing Gitmo.
The showcase trial of KSM in a civilian court was the next logical step to follow through on his campaign promises. The withdrawal of troops from Iraq is slated to follow in August 2010.
These are all part of policies that Obama was very clear about, but the American electorate were either not listening or chose to overlook in order to support the broader message that Obama was delivering during his campaign - Change that you can believe in! Now, the American public is waking up from the enchantment of the Presidential campaign to discover that they really don't like the "change" that the "community organizer" from Chicago has in store for the country.
Now that we have proven that a man of color can be elected President, we can now move on to the important issues of governing, of leading, of providing security and prosperity in a fast-paced and ever-changing world.
The about face on bringing KSM to trial in a civilian court in New York City is welcome, although it does show the shallowness of the Obama Administration.
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