The New Media Journal | Senators to Grill Attorney General Eric Holder on NY al Qaeda Trials

The New Media Journal | Senators to Grill Attorney General Eric Holder on NY al Qaeda Trials: "Republicans senators plan to grill Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday about his pledge not to allow the release of dangerous detainees into the United States.

Holder’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee marks the first time senators have had a chance to question Holder publicly since the Department of Justice announced its decision to try five terrorist suspects, including al Qaeda's Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-described mastermind behind the Sept. 11 attacks, in US courts.

Senators were deeply divided in their response to the announcement. Most Democrats praised the decision as a step toward restoring credibility to the US justice system. Republicans denounced it for giving terrorism suspects the high-profile public attention they crave.

The GOP also is worried the move could allow detainees to be released in the US on a technicality.

“[The administration’s Gitmo decision] was a result of unrealistic campaign promise,” said Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Judiciary’s ranking member. “Now that he’s in office, [President Barack Obama is] staying with that view even though it’s an unsound decision.”

Holder promised detainees would not be released into the US in a written response to a question posed by Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ). The answer was included in a 55-page document obtained by The Hill in which Holder responded to several senators in advance of Wednesday’s hearing.

“Where we have legal detention authority, as the president has stated, we will not release anyone into the United States if doing so would endanger our national security or the American people,” Holder wrote. “There are a number of tools at the government’s disposal to ensure that no such detainee is released into the United States, all of which are currently being reviewed by the Special Interagency Task Force on Detention Policy...”

Holder did not respond to any of Sessions’s written questions, according to the document obtained by The Hill...

Republicans want to know how the administration can claim that the trials in civilian courts are a true test of the country’s judicial process if detainees will be held regardless of the trials’ outcome.


Holder repeatedly dodged that question in a Friday briefing with reporters following the Justice announcement. Instead, Holder expressed confidence that the prosecutions would be successful.

Separately, House Republicans are launching efforts to prevent the trials in civilian courts. Intelligence Committee ranking member Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) told The Hill he will file a discharge petition to force a vote on legislation sponsored by House GOP Leader John Boehner (R-OH) that is intended to block efforts to transfer detainees to the US.

The House would have to vote on the legislation if the discharge petition is signed by a majority of members."