NBC's Pete Williams reports this morning that the Justice Department will almost certainly move the trial of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed from New York City. The decision to give him legal standing in our civilian courts as well as security concerns about a trial in lower Manhattan made it a controversial call from the start. Now NY Mayor Bloomberg has changed his position, saying the trial would hurt business. He suggests a military base. The President has told people he prefers a civilian trial because terrorists would use the result of a military commission as a recruiting tool. Would it be any more of a tool than a conviction in a civilian court where KSM could spew his venom for everyone to see? Furthermore, while proponents of a trial in NY say it would showcase the best legal system in the world, the reality is that even if KSM were to be acquitted, the U.S. has no intention of letting him go. It's a serious debate. More on the trial here.
Meanwhile, the President will face members of the GOP at a house retreat in Baltimore today. What kind of reception will he get? Here's my take from TODAY this morning.
