Biden slams Bloomberg for cost over 9/11 Terror Trials

The latest conflict of the 9/11 Terror Trials is the cost of having them in Lower Manhattan. The trials are concerning Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others allegedly involved in the 9/11 attacks.

On CBS' Face the Nation, Vice President Joe Biden harshly criticized New York City (NYC) Mayor Michael Bloomberg claiming that the Mayor has set an unreasonable price for the trials.

This newest clash between NYC officials and White House staff is the cost of $200 million a year, the price Mayor Bloomberg thinks the trials will cost NYC.

Vice President Biden lashed back at Mayor Bloomberg stating that the amount "is much more than needed." The majority of the $200 million is towards the estimate for security costs.

It seems that NYC officials are unwilling to budge. Deputy Mayor Edward Skyler remarked to a Citizens Budget Commission (CBC) forum, "You don't skimp on security in New York City, and we're not going to."

Vice President Biden's comments towards Mayor Bloomberg came as a surprise to many NYC officials. According to Gothamist.com, Mayor Bloomberg retorted back to Vice President Biden that no one "objected to the cost estimates before."

The issue of the trials has become a bigger problem for the Obama Administration than  they would have guessed. Though Attorney General Eric Holder was appointed to decide the location of the trial, the political uproar has made the White House decide the issue needs a firmer hand.

President Barack Obama himself has claimed that he will be taking a bigger role in the decisions regarding the trials. City officials are reasonably angry as it looks like the White House is back tracking because President Obama has already asked Congress for $200 million to hold the trials in Lower Manhattan.

This disagreement over the cost is simply another layer to the mess surrounding the trials. Both Democrats and Republicans have expressed disagreement with holding the trials in NYC.

Mayor Bloomberg is only willing to have the trials in NYC if the government takes care of the cost. In fact, it seems that no city is willing to hold the trials. Rhode Island Representative Pete King  remarked, "There's virtually no city, county or state in the country that wants the trial."

Some have begun to consider the idea of a civilian trial, though the majority of the trials concerning the 9/11 terrorist attacks have been held in federal courts over the years.
The current Obama Administration hinted that it has not excluded the possibility of a military trial. The political anger of holding the trials in Lower Manhattan has become so intense that a military trial might be the only solution for the Obama Administration.

Congress has also begun to shy away from any support, political and financial, for any trial held in NYC. Senate has even gone as far as suggesting it would block funding completely. If Congress were to interfere financially, it would force the Obama Administration toward a military trial.

NYC officials have not kept their displeasure over the White House's stance silent. City Councilman Peter Vallone, Jr.'s response to an article in The New York Daily News concerning Vice President Biden's remarks was, "Our police commissioner is perhaps one of the world's foremost experts on public safety, and Joe Biden treads on dangerous waters when he believes he knows more about the safety of New York City."

Vallone seems to have a valid point and fear. Authorities have said that a trial in Lower Manhattan would guarantee a terrorist attack. If the staggering cost were not enough, consider that any location holding the trials would be so heavily monitored any business life would essentially be stalled.

The Financial District has not fully recovered from the 9/11 attacks and holding the trials in the area would only hurt even more.