Bloomberg Now Opposed to Holding Terror Trials in New York City

After initially saying it would be "fitting" for 9/11 hijackers to face trial in New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg now says that he hopes the trials of accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed and several other detainees are moved somewhere else, USA Today reports. Bloomberg said Wednesday that it "would be great if the federal government could find a site that didn't cost a billion dollars, which using downtown will."


Bloomberg's gradual change of position seems to have more to do with the cost of the security and the disruption the trials could cause to daily operations in Manhattan than other concerns. The plan to hold the trials in a downtown courthouse was originally met with strong criticism from Republicans in Washington, who argued it would bring new terrorist threats to New York and spark a media circus. Bloomberg is more worried about logistics.

The trials will "impact traffic and commerce and people's lifestyles downtown and it would be great if we didn't do it," the mayor said. "Can we provide security? Yes. Could you provide security elsewhere? Yeah."

When Attorney General Eric Holder first announced that the administration wanted to hold the trials of Mohammed and four others in New York, Bloomberg reacted positively. "New York City stands ready to assist the federal court in the administration of justice in any way necessary," he said, adding that it would be "fitting that 9/11 suspects face justice near the World Trade Center site where so many New Yorkers were murdered."