by Rick Fontes

Created on: December 02, 2009   Last Updated: December 05, 2009

The next 'Trial of the Century' is standing in the wings. President Obama, acting through his attorney-general, Eric Holder, has decided to extend American civil justice into areas in which it has never before appeared.

By trying Khalid Sheikh Mohhamed, et al, as common criminals, in civil court, Mr. Obama will be charting new territory in the annals of criminal justice.

His stated purpose is to show the world that the American people are capable of looking beyond revenge for egregious wrongs done to them and are able to restrain passion in order to afford justice for all, no matter how heinous their crime. He assures the American people that his only motivation is a swift path to a just verdict against the perpetrators of 911.

In light of the fact that KSM had offered to plead guilty before a military tribunal and was eagerly awaiting a death sentence in order to join the ranks of the martyrs, the 'swift path to justice' argument is a bit thin. Had KSM been taken up on his offer, he would probably be claiming his heavenly reward by now.

Whenever the means employed to reach a stated goal are other than the simplest available, one must look for another, hidden goal. Accordingly, a prudent person would wonder what hidden agenda might be served by holding this terrorist show trial.

If simple, swift justice has been put aside in favor of a full blown media circus with the attendant possibility that state secrets might be exposed, high ranking officials of a previous administration might be brought to task for their handling of the 'war on terror,' and wild conspiracy theories concerning the involvement of government officials in covering up the 911 tragedy, might resurface in the august surroundings of a federal courtroom, the space for hidden agendas is wide indeed.

I have no special insight or inside knowledge of the motives this administration might have for choosing this path to justice but I am a concerned observer.

The stated agenda, that of allowing swift justice to be served, falls apart at first blush. The fact that KSM was denied the opportunity to plead guilty in front of a military tribunal while other terror suspects are still being tried in that venue, gives lie to the stated agenda.

It will take the test of time for the true agenda to be revealed. As the trial unfolds, we will soon see which areas of inquiry are to be explored by the prosecution and by the defense. We will witness links being forged between al Qaida operatives and American citizens, both in and out of government. Conspiracy theories will rise and fall.

It is my hope that something good will come out of this 'reality show.' It would be wonderful if these trials brought about a renewed sense of unity and led to positive steps toward increasing the safety and security of our nation.

On the other hand, it would be a tragedy if the entire exercise was nothing more than another example of Chicago style politics, intended to smear the previous administration and, by extension, the Republican party in advance of the 2012 elections.

Time will tell.

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