Every day, it seems, brings a new version of the Obama administration’s plan for trying Khalid Sheik Mohammed and his 9/11 confederates.
Yesterday, Attorney General Eric Holder — whose handling of the terrorist cases has come under mounting fire — declared, “These are trials that should be held on the civilian side.”
That followed Vice President Joe Biden’s appearance on the Sunday talk shows, where he said that, while it’s “the less preferable way,” nonetheless “a military tribunal is available.”
Two days earlier, however, Holder said that “trying the case in [federal] court is best for the case and best for our overall fight against al Qaeda” — though he left open the possibility of switching to a military commission.
Hours after that, though, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs insisted that any trials would be held in federal court.
Then there’s the decision about precisely where to hold civilian trials.
In late January, the administration put out word that it was looking for alternatives to Manhattan Federal Court, its original venue of choice. Then, less than a week later, came President Obama’s assertion that New York remained a prime candidate for any trials: “I have not ruled it out.”
Now we’re told the president has decided to play a more direct role in deciding both issues — while Holder reportedly is seeking more general guidance from White House political officials, particularly on terrorism.
So much for Democratic claims that the Bush administration had “politicized” the Justice Department.
The fact is, when it comes to trying accused terrorists, Obama & Co. are still trying to find a policy that meets their political and security needs.
That’s not easy, of course, since the administration is playing catch-up — as National Security Adviser Jim Jones essentially conceded this weekend, when he admitted that national-security officials “did not support the president as well as he should have been supported” in the case of the would-be Christmas bomber.
It all would’ve been a lot easier if Team Obama had understood the nature of the terrorist threat from the start: There’s a war on — and they need to fight it.
