Sordid New York news - In New York, Mix of Emotions Over 9/11 Trial Move

New York

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All the worrying about what a federal terrorism trial might mean to the city, or to New Yorkers themselves, is over.

So, too, is any meaningful debate on the social merits of trying Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the self-described mastermind of the Sept. 11 attack, and four other suspects in a civilian courtroom just blocks from where the plot was carried out.

Seventy-seven days after the Obama administration abruptly told the mayor and police commissioner that the trial was coming to Lower Manhattan, New Yorkers on Saturday absorbed the news that — just as abruptly — the government had apparently reversed itself.

Some New Yorkers said they were disappointed because the trial could have been symbolic of the city’s resilience and showcased the strength of the nation’s justice system. Others searched for words to express their angst over what would happen next, and when. Still others said they were relieved but confused over what, precisely, had prompted the sudden turnabout.

As a practical matter, holding the trial in New York posed the specter of a dizzying security lockdown — with roadblocks, checkpoints and rooftop sharpshooters — in the financial district and Chinatown.

That, said Mary Riches, 78, who lost her grandson Jimmy, 29, a firefighter, in the attack, reflected the reality that holding the trial at the United States courthouse in the heart of Lower Manhattan was “too dangerous.” If there were no other choice, she would accept it. But she preferred not to.

By equal measures, the turnabout angered her son, Jim Riches, 58, a retired deputy fire chief, for the simple reason that the clock was still ticking.

Seven years passed after the attack with no clarity on how the government would proceed, Mr. Riches said. Then, 10 months had passed since he first heard word that the Obama administration was studying the possibility of holding the trial in a civilian court instead of a military tribunal.

Mr. Riches said that all that time should have given officials enough room to assess the threats, form a plan to deal with them and understand the costs — and possible opposition.

“I’m a little angry,” he said. “This is another delay of justice, and the families have to suffer. I guess they feel it will cost too much money for security, but just get me another place where you are going to try them. This is going on too long.”

Money concerns were nowhere in the debate after the Justice Department announced on Nov. 13 its plans to try Mr. Mohammed and the four other 9/11 defendants blocks from where the World Trade Center had stood. In fact, politicians embraced it, some expressing glee at the chance to confront the suspects here.

But Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced last month that security costs would exceed $200 million annually, and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly outlined a plan to put Lower Manhattan on virtual lockdown. The idea then dissolved in the face of potential costs and disruption.

David N. Kelley, who was the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York from 2003 to 2005, said that the government should not abandon the idea of a civilian trial, but that an analysis of threats and logistics must be done for any possible future site.

“We have the best criminal justice system in the world, and we should not run away from the logistical challenges posed by this trial,” said Mr. Kelley, now in private practice in New York. “We should find a way to make this work; we need to put Nimby-ism aside and find the best place to do that,” he added.

Across the city on Saturday, the issue seemed to be Topic A on people’s tongues. Reactions diverged from neighborhood to neighborhood.

Along a largely Muslim stretch of Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, many people declined to offer an opinion. One man said that the anti-Muslim sentiment he had sensed made him afraid to speak openly. He said it did not matter where the trial would be held.

“Personally,” he said, “I don’t think they’re going to get a fair trial.”

But John Rapaport, 57, who was having lunch at a halal restaurant, said the location was integral. He said a downtown trial would “show the entire world that we’re capable.”

And Majed Almontaser, who was making his way to the Masjid al-Farooq mosque, said that a Manhattan trial had sounded like a good idea.

Reporting was contributed by Colin Moynihan, William K. Rashbaum, Stacey Solie and Benjamin Weiser.