Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday that the successful prosecution of Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law “vindicates” using the federal court system over military tribunals for terrorism trials and that it paves the way for other top al Qaeda leaders to someday be tried just blocks away from site of the World Trade Center attacks.
However, Holder, who was in Lower Manhattan congratulating US Attorney Preet Bharara’s trial team that scored Sulaiman Abu Ghaith’s guilty verdict last week, said that swift jury conviction wouldn’t open the door to alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed also being brought to a Manhattan civilian courtroom because the decision to try him before a military tribunal won’t be revisited.
“The time has passed for that determination … “ Holder told reporters. “This is not a decision that we are going to revisit.”
In November 2009, Holder announced Mohammed would be tried in Manhattan but reversed it in April 2011 against rising political opposition, saying families of victims of the attacks deserved swift justice.
Now, Mohammed and four Guantanamo detainees are unlikely to be tried in military tribunals before next year.
Abu Ghaith — the highest-ranking al Qaeda figure to face trial on US soil since the 9/11 attacks — was found guilty by a Manhattan federal jury of conspiring to kill Americans and providing material support to al Qaeda by inciting would-be Muslim militants to join its cause. The feds’ case against Abu Ghaith took a little more than a year to complete, including a three-week trial.
The 48-year-old imam from Kuwait now faces life in prison when he’s sentenced Sept. 8.
Holder on Tuesday also said he believes there’s no potential conflict about how the Bridgegate scandal is being probed by the feds.
“I have full confidence in their ability to do an appropriate job,” said Holder when asked whether the office of New Jersey’s US Attorney Paul Fishman should be handling the investigation into crippling George Washington Bridge lane closures orchestrated by two of Gov. Chris Christie’s top appointees – considering Christie once ran Fishman’s office and appointed and promoted many of its prosecutors.
“They have a great US attorney there and a capable staff of career lawyers who will decide whatever cases they are considering based on the facts of the law,” Holder said.