Sessions Comments On President Obama's Decision To Bring 9/11 Terrorists To America

Statement

U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, made the following comments today regarding the Obama administration's announcement that Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four co-defendants will be tried in U.S. federal court rather than by a military commission:

"The Obama administration's decision to relocate five of the most dangerous terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to lower Manhattan for civilian trials is dangerous and misguided. These individuals are terrorists, not common criminals--and they should be treated as such. Historically, our policy has been that these kinds of cases should be treated under the well-established rules of war, not under the Federal Rules of Evidence. Today's announcement marks a continued departure from that longstanding policy.

"Our court system was never designed for this purpose. These trials will turn lawyers, juries, and judges into targets, and will needlessly endanger Americans living nearby. They will give men like 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed an international stage to mock America and advance his own celebrity and jihad. Also, civilian trials imperil the secrecy of sensitive government information and--because of different rules in evidence and sentencing--may result in Bin Laden's soldiers being turned loose to resume their jihad against America.

"As unlawful enemy combatants, these terrorist should face a military tribunal, not civilian justice. Why should we extend to these terrorists the same constitutional rights and privileges as those enjoyed by the Americans they helped massacre on September 11th?"

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