Obama admits defeat on KSM

Today's decision that Khalid Sheik Muhammed, the mastermind of the 9-11 attacks will be tried in Gitmo before a military tribunal is a major loss and embarrassment for president Obama. The decision reverses the 2009 decision that the trial would be in civilian court in New York City. the decision to use Gitmo also flies in the face of all that campaign rhetoric from Obama in 2008. Here's how Reuters describes it: "Obama has called the Guantanamo Bay facility, set up by his predecessor President George W. Bush, a recruiting symbol for anti-American groups and said allegations of prisoner mistreatment there had tarnished America's reputation." Obama promised to close Gitmo within a year of taking office. Well it has been 2.3 years now and Gitmo will remain open for the foreseeable future.

The decision by Obama to try KSM in New York was one of the most tone deaf and idiot actions of the entire Obama presidency (and that is truly sayiing something.) No one other than the leftist fringe thought a trial in NYC made sense. Obama has now been forced to retreat in the face of almost total public opposition.

It will be interesting to see whether Obama admits to having taken part in this decision or if he tries to fob it off on Eric Holder. My guess is that we will hear that Holder made the decision on his own. Maybe they will say that he spoke to Obama, but I doubt that Obama will take credit for moving the trial back to Gitmo.

One other bright side to this decision: It is estimated that the security cost for a trial in NYC would have been close to 800 million dollars, so the deficit for next year was just reduced.

UPDATE: Guess what! Obama did as expected and said that the decision to move the trials back to Gitmo was Holder's and his own. Here is how the AP reports it: "At the time [the trial was announced for NYC], President Obama said it was Holder's decision. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Monday's decision again remained with Holder."