US attorney general Eric Holder is considering alternative sites to New York for prosecuting the accused plotters of the September 11th, 2001, attacks amid rising pressure and concerns about security and costs.
The Obama administration has been harshly criticised for plans to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four of his alleged co-conspirators a few blocks from where the World Trade Center twin towers stood because of worries about a large security cordon and the potential impact on businesses in the area.
Mr Holder, who picked New York in November for the trials, is considering alternative venues to the Manhattan courthouse, an administration official said yesterday.
“Conversations have occurred with the administration to discuss contingency options should the possibility of a trial in lower Manhattan be foreclosed upon by Congress or locally,” a second administration official said.
It was not clear what other venues would be considered. New York officials have suggested options such as a military base, the US Military Academy at West Point, New York, or nearby Governor’s Island, although some said the last option was not feasible.
One US official has said no terrorism trials had been held outside a federal courthouse and there are questions over whether a trial could be held on a military base.
The decision to reconsider comes after intense bipartisan pressure and poses another hurdle for US president Barack Obama, who has been trying to focus on passing his health insurance reform initiative and reducing the high unemployment rate.
Earlier this week, New York city mayor Michael Bloomberg reversed his support for holding the trials in the heart of Manhattan.
“I would prefer if it was done elsewhere. I think some of the suggestions make sense, like a military base, because it’s far away from people and you can provide security easily,” he said yesterday on his weekly radio show.
Mr Bloomberg said he expressed his concerns to the administration on Thursday, but he also acknowledged that ultimately the city could handle the trials. “The city will be as supportive as we can.”
He has estimated the cost of security for the trial to be at least $200 million (€144 million) a year and has asked the Obama administration to pick up the tab. This could be tough for Mr Obama though because he has had enormous trouble getting congress to approve money to close the US prison at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba.