Victims' families invited to watch 9/11 hearings
NEW YORK (AP) - The families of people killed in the Sept. 11 attacks have been invited to military installations in four states to watch pretrial hearings in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for five men charged with planning or assisting the terrorist strike.
The hearings, which begin Monday, are closed to the public, but relatives who register in advance can watch on closed-circuit television at forts in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland and New York City.
The suspects on trial before the military commission include Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-professed mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks.
An earlier round of hearings in May was also transmitted to viewing locations for relatives of the victims, survivors of the attacks, and emergency personnel who responded to the disaster.
Those proceedings were an exercise in frustration for some viewers, as the suspects refused to cooperate with the court, or interrupted proceedings to kneel in prayer.
Jim Riches, whose firefighter son, Jimmy, died at the World Trade Center, said he planned to view Monday's hearing at Fort Hamilton, in Brooklyn.
"It's difficult for the families. But it is 10 years later, and we have no justice," Riches said. "I just wish it was being broadcast throughout the whole world so everyone could see it, and could see what these guys are like."
The nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks each have many relatives who could see the trial, but attendance at the first round of hearings last spring was light, with only a few dozen people at each site.
Riches said he didn't expect a large crowd for Monday's session either, largely due to the pain of reliving the attacks.
"A lot of people are moving on with their lives. A lot of people are just trying to forget about it and move on. But you can't, really. They aren't going to walk back in through the door," he said, referring to the victims.
The hearings, which begin Monday, are closed to the public, but relatives who register in advance can watch on closed-circuit television at forts in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland and New York City.
The suspects on trial before the military commission include Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-professed mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks.
An earlier round of hearings in May was also transmitted to viewing locations for relatives of the victims, survivors of the attacks, and emergency personnel who responded to the disaster.
Those proceedings were an exercise in frustration for some viewers, as the suspects refused to cooperate with the court, or interrupted proceedings to kneel in prayer.
Jim Riches, whose firefighter son, Jimmy, died at the World Trade Center, said he planned to view Monday's hearing at Fort Hamilton, in Brooklyn.
"It's difficult for the families. But it is 10 years later, and we have no justice," Riches said. "I just wish it was being broadcast throughout the whole world so everyone could see it, and could see what these guys are like."
The nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks each have many relatives who could see the trial, but attendance at the first round of hearings last spring was light, with only a few dozen people at each site.
Riches said he didn't expect a large crowd for Monday's session either, largely due to the pain of reliving the attacks.
"A lot of people are moving on with their lives. A lot of people are just trying to forget about it and move on. But you can't, really. They aren't going to walk back in through the door," he said, referring to the victims.
It doesn't surprise me that so many have moved on with their lives. Ten years is a long time during which every year on 9/11 they get to relive it anyway. Maybe it's time to realize these people all have different ways of coming to terms with their feelings. Those who want to view the trial have the opportunity and let it go at that.
It's interesting our country has to provide all the comforts of our laws, prison(s) and legal fees for these vermin. I also have witnessed an alarming trend of life without.... Why are we housing these rodents? Why aren't we executing them?
 @Funky-Munky I am hoping that the military commission will sentence the guilty to death. Granted, it might be difficult to carry out the sentence given the influence of the terrorist-loving former partners of Eric Holder, but one can always hope.
 @LockesChild Many people are telling me Obama is an Islamic sympathizer.... I have literally seen video footage of him bowing to a Saudi King .... Yet others tell me Obama wouldn't show respect to the Queen of England by bowing.... In addition he refused to wear an American Flag lapel pin to show American pride... Heck, I don't know what to believe about his administration anymore... Obama has issued the most Executive Orders since the inception of U.S. presidents... scary.
@Funky-Munky bwahahaha the funk. You just have to do a quick internet search to discover that you have absolutely no idea at all about what you are even posting about there munk. Go figure.
 @LockesChild " terrorist-loving former partners of Eric Holder"
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Do you have any evidence to support this comment or is just another "news" snippet from fox?
@Funky-Munky -- Executing them without a trial would be stooping. We can't become the monster, after all. Nobody would blame us for just being done with them...but we are better than that.
 @Jac A.K.A International Court... (just a thought) You honestly thought I would execute without the burden of proof... No way! I am civilized... somewhat. :D)
 @Jac You're reading in to far of what I wrote.... World Court responsibility... I don't think the World Court deals directly with these sorts of things.... But they should.... Terrorism is a world-wide problem...
 @Jac The ones captured on the battlefield could have been summarily executed. But once we took them prisoner we had to provide a process by which their guilt or innocence could be judged.