WASHINGTON (Nov. 15) -- Putting suspected Sept. 11 terrorists on trial in New York City places residents there at unnecessary risk, former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said Sunday.
Giuliani, who was mayor of New York during the terrorist attacks, told CNN's "State of the Union" that the suspects should face military tribunals rather than regular trials. You can watch an excerpt of the interview below.
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Politics Daily: GOP, Democrats Clash Over Trials
Holding the trials in New York will cost "millions and millions and millions of dollars, all of which would be worth it if there was no other choice. There is another choice ... military tribunals," he said.
Last week, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that self-proclaimed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four other suspects in the attacks would be moved from the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to stand trial in New York. Five other suspected terrorists would be brought to the United States to face military tribunals, he said.
Reactions from the families of Sept. 11 victims have been mixed.
Critics have said the suspects should not be tried in the traditional just system or be brought to U.S. soil. Giuliani echoed those sentiments Sunday.
On "Fox News Sunday," Giuliani said the president is only granting Mohammad's "wish" and questioned why the Sept. 11 suspects wouldn't face military tribunals.
"What the Obama administration is telling us loud and clear is that both in substance and reality, the war on terror from their point of view is over," Giuliani said. Mohammad "should be tried in a military tribunal. He is a war criminal. This is an act of war."
The ex-mayor said that bringing Mohammed to New York would be "repeating the mistake of history." And he accused the Obama administration of adopting a "pre-9/11 approach" to fighting terrorists.
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"There seems to be an over-concern with the rights of terrorists and a lack of concern with the rights of the public," Giuliani told Fox.
But David Axelrod, a senior adviser to President Barack Obama, said on CNN on Sunday that Mohammed and the other suspects should stand trial "in full view" of the public.
"We believe this is the appropriate thing to do," Axelrod said. "We feel strongly that justice will be done here, and frankly it's been a long time in coming. A lot of these cases have been delayed for many, many years."
GIuliani...GET LOST!!