Attorney general, defense secretary urge Congress not to restrict court trials on terrorists
By Pete Yost, APThursday, February 25, 2010
Holder, Gates: Allow terror trials in the courts
WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric Holder and Defense Secretary Robert Gates are urging Congress not to restrict the executive branch from prosecuting terrorism defendants either in federal courts or in reformed military commissions in the United States.
A joint letter to House leaders from the attorney general and defense secretary ratchets up the debate between the Obama administration and Republicans on how best to proceed legally against accused terrorists.
Holder and Gates say in their letter that congressional restrictions on terrorism prosecutions would be unwise and would set a dangerous precedent. A bill backed by dozens of Republican senators, and a few Democrats, would bar trying defendants in the 9/11 attacks in civilian federal court as Holder has proposed.
