The
White House ordered
the Justice
Department Thursday
night to consider
other places to try
the 9/11 terror
suspects after a
wave of opposition
to holding the trial
in lower Manhattan.
The dramatic
turnabout came hours
after Mayor
Bloomberg said he
would "prefer that
they did it
elsewhere" and then
spoke to Attorney
General Eric Holder.
"It would be an
inconvenience at the
least, and probably
that's too mild a
word for people that
live in the
neighborhood and
businesses in the
neighborhood,"
Bloomberg told
reporters.
"There are places
that would be less
expensive for the
taxpayers and less
disruptive for New
York City."
State and city
leaders have
increasingly railed
against a plan to
try Khalid Shaikh
Mohammed in
Manhattan federal
court since Holder
proposed it last
month.
Sen. Chuck Schumer
said he was
"pleased" that the
administration is
reconsidering the
location of the
trial.
Earlier in the day,
Schumer spoke "with
high-level members
of the
administration and
urged them to find
alternatives," said
the senator's
spokesman, Josh
Vlasto.
The order to
consider new venues
does not change the
White House's
position that
Mohammed should be
tried in civilian
court.
"President Obama is
still committed to
trying Mohammed and
four other terrorist
detainees in federal
court," spokesman
Bill Burton said
Thursday.
"He agrees with the
attorney general's
opinion that . . .
he and others can be
litigated
successfully and
securely in the
United States of
America, just like
others have," Burton
said.
Burton referred
questions about the
location debate to
the Justice
Department. While
not commenting
publicly, a
department official
disputed the
characterization
that the White House
ordered the possible
move.
But another insider
told the Daily News
that Justice
officials have been
caught off guard by
the fiery opposition
in New York.
"They're in a tizzy
at Justice over
Bloomberg," a
federal law
enforcement official
said. "It's like a
half-baked soufflé -
the plan is
collapsing."
Julie Menin, the
chairwoman of
Community Board 1
who helped rally
opposition to the
plan, called the
shift "a step in the
right direction."
"I'm thrilled the
White House is
reconsidering,"
Menin said. "The
trial has to be
moved out of New
York City."
Meanwhile, a source
told The News that
Police Commissioner
Raymond Kelly was
the driving force
behind the push by
Manhattan business
leaders to change
the mayor's mind on
the trial.
Kelly made an
"extremely powerful"
speech to a roomful
of 150 prominent
business leaders
about how disruptive
and costly the trial
would be for lower
Manhattan at an
annual police
charity event on
Jan. 13, the source
said.
"What turned this
around was when Ray
made a presentation
to the Police
Foundation," the
source said.
"Everyone went from
thinking, 'Justice
will be served' to
thinking 'We are
screwed.' "
What followed was a
barrage of
complaints to the
mayor from some of
New York's most
powerful tycoons -
part of a tide of
pressure that led
Bloomberg to turn
against hosting the
trial.
Estimates put the
cost of a multiyear
terror trial in
lower Manhattan at
about $200 million a
year. Leaders have
suggested other
venues for the
trial, such as the
Military Academy at
West Point or
Stewart Air National
Guard Base in
upstate Newburgh.
The federal
government has said
they would reimburse
the city for the
costs, most of which
cover overtime for
increased security,
but they won't
reimburse business
owners for lost
revenue during the
chaos, said Steven
Spinola, president
of the heavyweight
business group Real
Estate Board of New
York.
"Is the federal
government going to
give the city $1
billion plus the
cost of propping up
businesses? I don't
think so," Spinola
said.
"The mayor clearly
has been thinking
about this. The tide
is turning," he
said.
With Kenneth Lovett,
James Gordon Meek
and Rocco
Parascandola
