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GOP blasts terrorism trial decision

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- U.S. Republicans Friday denounced the decision to try the five men suspected of masterminding the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in a civilian court.

The torrent of GOP criticism came quickly after Attorney General Eric Holder announced Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other 9/11 detainees would be brought from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to stand trial in the U.S. District Court in New York.

Rep. Pete King, the only Republican member of New York City's congressional delegation, said trying the suspects in New York would endanger Americans.

"This decision is not only misguided but extremely dangerous," King said in a statement. "Detaining and trying these five terrorists only a few blocks from the World Trade Center site where, by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's design, thousands were brutally murdered, puts our nation -- and New York City --at greater risk."

"These terrorists planned and executed the mass murder of thousands of innocent Americans. Treating them like common criminals is unconscionable," Texas Sen. John Cornyn said in a statement. "Reverting to a pre-9/11 approach to fighting terrorism and bringing these dangerous individuals onto U.S. soil needlessly compromises the safety of all Americans."

Arizona Sen. John McCain, the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, said the suspects "should be treated as war criminals and tried for their crimes through military tribunals."

"We are at war, and we must bring terrorists to justice in a manner consistent with the horrific acts of war they have committed," McCain said.

House Republican leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, accused the administration of "reverting to a dangerous, pre-9/11 mentality."

"The possibility that Khalid Sheik Mohammed and his co-conspirators could be found 'not guilty' due to some legal technicality just blocks from Ground Zero should give every American pause," he said.

Texas Rep. Lamar Smith, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee,

said the decision will give the suspects constitutional rights they don't deserve. That, he said, could result in shorter sentences than if they were tried in a military tribunal.

"America already gives terrorists more constitutional rights than any other country," Smith said in a statement. "The administration should not prioritize the rights of terrorists over the rights of Americans to be safe and secure"

Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut Independent who heads of the Homeland Security Committee, also expressed outrage.

"It is inconceivable that we would bring these alleged terrorists back to New York for trial, to the scene of the carnage they created eight years ago, and give them a platform to mock the suffering of their victims and the victims' families, and rally their followers to continue waging jihad against America," Lieberman said in a statement.

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Trial draws mixed reaction from 9/11 families

NEW YORK, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Families of those who died in New York on Sept. 11, 2001, had mixed reactions to news the terrorism suspects would be tried in a federal court in Manhattan.

Jim Riches, a retired deputy chief in the New York Fire Department, lost his firefighter son, Jimmy, at the World Trade Center.

"Let them come to New York," he told The New York Times. "Let them get on trial. Let's do it the right way, for all the world to see what they're like. Let's go. It's been too long. Let's get some justice."

Others said the accused terrorists should be tried in military tribunals or executed without formalities.

Margit Arias-Kastell, whose husband, Adam, worked in the World Trade Center, and scores of other bereaved relatives signed a statement opposing a civilian trial.

"It's totally unfair," Arias-Kastell said. "Why do we have to constantly relive this? When do we get to be at peace? They should be hung."

The American Civil Liberties Union released a statement calling the decision to try Khalid Sheik Mohammed and others in federal court "a huge victory for restoring due process and the process of law."

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Jefferson given 13 years in prison

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana was sentenced Friday to 13 years in federal prison for bribery and racketeering.

Jefferson, 62, appeared in U.S. District in Alexandria, Va., where Judge T.S. Ellis gave him less than the 27-33 years prosecutors wanted but more than the less than 10 Jefferson's attorneys had hoped he would receive, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune reported.

Ellis said he found Jefferson's conduct "a cancer on the body politic."

The former nine-term Democratic congressman appeared calm as the sentence was read in the packed courtroom. He declined to make a statement on advise of his attorney, The Times-Picayune said.

The judge did not say where Jefferson would serve his prison term or set a date for when he is to "self-report" to whatever correctional facility is designated, the newspaper said. Jefferson's lawyers had requested a Jan. 4 reporting date.

The judge didn't rule on whether Jefferson may remain free while he appeals his Aug. 6 conviction, a process likely to take months.

In seeking a heavier sentence, prosecutors cited Jefferson's efforts to obtain millions of dollars in payments and stock to family-owned businesses in return for his assistance in winning potentially lucrative contracts in Western Africa.

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Obama says he is first Pacific president

TOKYO, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama called himself the "first Pacific president" of the United States in a speech Saturday in Japan.

Obama spoke of the importance of the U.S.-Japanese alliance and of the many links between the two countries. He paid tribute to Japan as the world's second-biggest economy.

"But while our commitment to this region begins in Japan, it does not end here," he said. "The United States of America may have started as a series of ports and cities along the Atlantic, but for generations we also have been a nation of the Pacific."

On his first trip to Asia since taking office in January, the president told his listeners in Suntory Hall that as a child, he had visited the great Buddha at Kamakura with his mother. He reminded them he was born in Hawaii and lived in Indonesia as a child, growing up with a half-Indonesian sister.

"So the Pacific Rim has helped shape my view of the world," he said.

While the president talked of common interests, dialogue and multilateral organizations, he also warned the North Korean government it has chosen the path of "confrontation and provocation" for decades.

Earlier, Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama recommitted to reducing carbon emissions. And the two leaders said they would work toward non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and seek a nuclear weapon-free world.

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Hutchison won't resign Senate seat soon

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Kay Bailey Hutchison said Friday she will keep her U.S. Senate seat for now while running for governor of Texas.

Over the past year, Hutchison had said she would step down from the Senate as she challenges Gov. Rick Perry in next March's Republican primary election. However, her aides say she now has decided to hold off resigning until after the primary because of major legislative fights brewing in the Senate, including healthcare reform, the Houston Chronicle reported.

"I am more determined than ever to become the 48th governor of the great state of Texas," the Chronicle reported Hutchison says in remarks prepared for delivery Saturday to the Texas Federation of Republican Women in Galveston. "But at the same time, I must put what's best for my campaign aside and do what is best for our state. That is why I must stay in the Senate while running for the Republican nomination for governor."

A Rasmussen Reports poll released Friday indicates Hutchison, first elected to the Senate in 1993, trails Perry, who first became governor in 2000, 35 percent to 46 percent among Republican voters. Activist Debra Medina garnered 4 percent. Details of the poll weren't given.

The governor said Friday Hutchison was "AWOL," absent without leave, in Washington while directing her energies to running in Texas.

Perry spokesman Mark Milner weighed in, saying: "We appreciate that Senator Hutchison has taken the governor's advice and finally decided to make a decision to stay in Washington. Hopefully this will allow her to be a full-time senator for the people of Texas."

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Roundtable healthcare report angers GOP

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- A report by the Business Roundtable suggesting Democratic plans for U.S. healthcare reform could cut costs has angered Republicans.

The roundtable, which includes the CEOs of more than 50 large companies, was organized to lobby for pro-business policies. President Obama touted the report Thursday, saying researchers found Democratic legislation would cut costs for business by $3,000 a year for each worker, The Hill said.

The report did not endorse specific proposals but said parts of the Democratic proposals would bring down the "trend line" of ever-rising healthcare costs.

"We estimate that if enacted properly, the right legislative reforms could potentially reduce that trend line by more than $3,000 per employee, to $25,435," the report stated.

Two weeks ago, Republicans criticized the roundtable for not being more aggressive in opposing healthcare reform. The report added new fuel.

"The Business Roundtable really should've learned from Bob Dole, Bill Frist and Tommy Thompson that the mere mention of support for any aspect of health reform will be misconstrued by this administration to mean they're on board with a trillion-dollar government takeover," a senior Senate aide told The Hill.