Giulliani, Ruby. “Dangerous and Irresponsible.” Fox News. Fox News, 13 November 2009. Web. 27 November 2009 <http://video.foxnews.com/11586672/dangerous-and-irresponsible>.
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In an appearance on Fox News on November 13, former New York Mayor Rudy Guilliani reacted to Attorney General Eric Holder’s announcement that the trial of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Scheikh Mohammed and others would be held in federal court in New York City. Guillani called the decision a “big mistake” for several reasons. He pointed out that our court system is geared toward setting defendants free if there is any reasonable doubt of their guilt. It would be the lawyers’ ethical duty to do everything possible to get their clients acquitted. Guillani believes that the first thing the lawyers would do is request a change of venue based on the inability of the suspects to have a fair trial in New York. If the judge denies it, they will be able to appeal any conviction. The judge could also rule that much of the evidence is inadmissible because of the strict regulations for admitting evidence in a civilian court. There are so many technicalities that could be the basis for appeal and even acquittal. Guilliani ‘s point is that war criminals should not be tried under the same rules as American citizens. Guilliani added that the increased security risk to New York is unnecessary. Guilliani sees the decision to try the suspects in a civilian court instead of a military one as evidence of a bigger issue. He said that Obama’s idea that we should no longer use the term “war on terror”, his desire to be “politically correct”, and his concern about offending the Islamic community have hurt our country’s ability to effectively deal with Islamic terrorists.
The video of former mayor Rudy Guillani’s reaction to Attorney General Holder’s decision to hold trials for suspected terrorists in New York City highlights the consequences of the Senate’s decision to allow suspected terrorists to be tried in civilian courts. Guilliani listed several reasons for his position that it is inappropriate to try war criminals in civilian court. The point of view presented in this video is pertinent because it makes the audience aware of the dangerous possibility that guilty parties could be acquitted because of the limits of trying war criminals under civilian rules as opposed to military rules.
