Majority Say Accused Sept. 11 Conspirators Should Have Faced Military Trial

bruce-drake

Bruce Drake

Contributing Editor
Posted:
11/19/09
Fifty-two percent of voters believe that Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four co-conspirators accused of planning the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks should be tried in a military tribunal while 40 percent agree with Attorney General Eric Holder's decision to try them in federal court in New York, according to a Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll conducted Nov. 17-18.

Seventy-three percent are concerned that key evidence in the civilian trial will be thrown out on a technicality, 72 percent worry that Mohammed and the others will turn the trial into "a circus," 72 percent are concerned that the courthouse and the city will become terrorist targets, and 69 percents have concerns that one or more of the defendants will be set free.

Fifty-four percent do not believe the U.S. and its allies are winning the war on terrorism compared to 33 percent who do, with 13 percent expressing no opinion. Forty-five percent oppose sending more troops to Afghanistan while 42 percent support doing so with 12 percent saying they don't know.