Members of Congress Outraged over 9/11 Terrorists Being Tried in U.S.

It was revealed earlier today that the self-proclaimed mastermind behind the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and four other detainees from Guantanamo Bay would be brought to New York City to be tried in civilian court. This announcement, which was made by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, is being met with harsh criticism by several members of Congress, according to CNN.com.

The aspect of Holder's decision that is being met with the most criticism is the fact that the five terrorist detainees will be entitled to rights and constitutional protections that they otherwise would not have been exposed to if they were to be tried as military criminals. At the same time, members of Congress believe that the five detainees do not deserve to be treated as common criminals and the safety of American citizens has been jeopardized by this decision.

Republican Senator from Texas John Cornyn expressed his displeasure in a written statement that reads, "The attacks of September 11th were an act of war. 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."

Representative Lamar Smith, the most powerful Republican within the House Judiciary Committee, specified that the five detainees have received the right to protections under the Fourth Amendment that protect them from unreasonable search and seizure.