November 18, 2009
Protecting New York during terror trial
Relax New Yorkers. Yes, your city will once again be a ground zero target for all the terrorists in the world when five of their own are tried in civil courts for perpetrating the 9/11 evil. But as Patrice O'Shaughnessy, Rocco Parascandola, and Alison Gendar report in the New York Daily News , no problem because:
Security will be at an all-time high for the trial of five accused 9/11 terrorists - just a few blocks and eight years away from the lost twin towers of the World Trade Center.
Rooftop snipers, armored vehicles and lock-down zones around the Pearl Street courthouse are part of the plan to insure safety during the trial of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and his cohorts. (snip)The U.S. marshals will handle courthouse security, and their main mission is to protect those on trial. The job for the FBI and the NYPD is protecting the public from anyone hoping to disrupt the trial or gain international recognition by trying to free the defendants.Security will include 24-hour fixed canine posts and a counterassault team car - an unmarked bulletproof SUV in the area.The NYPD's heavily armed Hercules teams will lock down and sweep the area before suspects are moved from the federal lockup to the courtroom via a not-so-secret underground tunnel.U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder noted the tunnel means the accused terrorists "never have to see the light of day."Behind the scenes, the FBI, NYPD and CIA intelligence officers will take the temperature of the Muslim community while monitoring chatter from known terror groups to Internet chat rooms.
And the cost of all this in dollars? Don't worry about it; think of it as government stimulus funds finally producing real jobs for a change.
There, I knew you'd feel better.