Don't Let Congress Block Trials for the 9/11 Accused

Don't Let Congress Block Trials for the 9/11 Accused

The Issue

President Obama made the right decision to try Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and other alleged 9/11 conspirators in U.S. federal courts rather than "kangaroo courts" known as military commissions.  While military commissions have only dealt with 3 cases involving terrorism since the September 11th attacks, U.S. federal courts are responsible for successfully convicting at least 195 cases involving terrorism during the same time.

But now members of Congress are attacking the President's decision and threatening to block funding for the trial. Senator Lindsey Graham called federal trials a "dumb idea" and wants to use the military commissions that he and other politicians cooked up at Guantanamo to ensure convictions and cover up evidence of torture.

According to military and intelligence experts, the Guantanamo show trials have not only failed to hold the alleged 9/11 plotters accountable, but have also tarnished America's reputation for justice and served as recruiting propaganda for al Qaeda.

Tell Congress not to block fair federal trials. It's time for justice for 9/11, and real justice requires a real court.

avatar of the starter
Amnesty International USAPetition StarterI'm the founder of Change.org. I started this journey because I had little way of translating my passion for a cause into effective action, and I hope we can deepen engagement in social issues and empower people to make a difference in their communities and the world around them.
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The Issue

President Obama made the right decision to try Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and other alleged 9/11 conspirators in U.S. federal courts rather than "kangaroo courts" known as military commissions.  While military commissions have only dealt with 3 cases involving terrorism since the September 11th attacks, U.S. federal courts are responsible for successfully convicting at least 195 cases involving terrorism during the same time.

But now members of Congress are attacking the President's decision and threatening to block funding for the trial. Senator Lindsey Graham called federal trials a "dumb idea" and wants to use the military commissions that he and other politicians cooked up at Guantanamo to ensure convictions and cover up evidence of torture.

According to military and intelligence experts, the Guantanamo show trials have not only failed to hold the alleged 9/11 plotters accountable, but have also tarnished America's reputation for justice and served as recruiting propaganda for al Qaeda.

Tell Congress not to block fair federal trials. It's time for justice for 9/11, and real justice requires a real court.

avatar of the starter
Amnesty International USAPetition StarterI'm the founder of Change.org. I started this journey because I had little way of translating my passion for a cause into effective action, and I hope we can deepen engagement in social issues and empower people to make a difference in their communities and the world around them.

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Petition created on February 10, 2010