Terror Trial: A Risk We Have to Take

This morning, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani ripped President Obama for allowing Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to stand trial in New York, saying that it was "an unnecessary risk." What risk can the mayor be talking about?

This morning, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani appeared on CNN’s "State of the Union" and ripped President Obama for allowing Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and company to stand trial in New York, saying: "It is an unnecessary advantage to give to terrorists…I don’t know you'd want to give terrorists advantages and secondly it's an unnecessary risk."

What risk can the mayor be talking about?

Of a terrorist attack on New York? That risk is always there. Or of acquittal?  In a society governed by the rule of law, acquittal is not a “risk” but an outcome.   We can disagree about the method, but the attainment of a “guilty” verdict is not a convenience, but rather a requirement.