President Obama remains committed to holding 9/11 terror trial in America, official says

Daniel Roberts
DAILY NEWS WRITER

 

Sunday, February 14th 2010, 4:00 AM

 

Applewhite/AP

John Brennan, Obama's top counterterrorism aide, said the President is committed to holding the 9/11 terror trial in the U.S., though he's not sure where.

President Obama remains committed to trying accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed in an American court - although he remains unsure where, a top administration official said Saturday.

"As far as support from the community and funding requirement, the most important thing to keep in mind is we need to bring him to justice in an American court," said John Brennan, Obama's top counterterrorism aide.

"Whether it happens in New York, Pennsylvania or Virginia, where will funding come from?"

New York officials estimated the cost of holding a trial in Manhattan at $250 million. Mayor Bloomberg is among those opposed to a trial in lower Manhattan, just a few blocks from Ground Zero.

Brennan, appearing before a mostly Muslim audience at an NYU Islamic Center-sponsored event, avoided commenting on the controversy during his 45-minute speech, but addressed the issue after an audience member posed the question.

"Clearly, this is an issue people in the city feel strongly about," Brennan acknowledged. 

 "We are trying to push this forward as best we can, but we also need non-obstruction from certain forces in our government," he said later. "There are stiff winds delaying us from bringing this man to justice."

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