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With the closing of the Guantánamo Bay detention camp, the Justice Department is evaluating the cases of the remaining 241 detainees, and there are reports some may end up being tried on U.S. soil, perhaps in Manhattan Federal Court. Prof. Joseph King sees that as a strong possibility. “It’s the logical place,” he says. “The Southern District (court) has been the venue in the past for trials like this … The U.S. Marshal’s office, Police Department and the Bureau of Prisons are all used to it. It’s been the leading federal prosecution district for any number of cases.”

Did Bush era anti-terrorism policies prevent another 9/11-style terror attack, as former Vice President Dick Chaney has claimed? President Obama has strongly rejected the Chaney claim, saying the policies did damage by increasing anti-American sentiments. Prof. Joseph Kings agrees. “The Bush administration failed to move forward with a lot of what they were doing,” said Prof. King. “If they could say they processed all of the detainees-and found some guilty or not guilty by a military court-than we would be in a much better position in the eyes of the world.”

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In his first post-election interview, Barack Obama told CBS’s “60 Minutes” why national security will be among his top priorities during this transitional time and in the early months of his presidency. Prof. Joseph King explains why this is essential for the safety of the country. “It’s reassuring to see that he has taken national security as a serious issue and understands that in this period of flux our enemies could take it as an opening.” Prof. King also weighs in on the new administration’s pick for the head of the Homeland Security Department, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano.



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A new study headed by the chairs of the 9/11 Commission has given the federal government a “D” for its efforts in preventing the spread of weapons and protecting the homeland. The same report awarded a B minus, its highest mark, for government efforts to combat chemical weapons. Prof. Joseph King explains the discrepancy. “I credit that panel — it’s a bipartisan commission — and they have come up with any number of recommendations, most of which the government hasn’t adopted yet.”

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As the country marks the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, an historic presidential race is rounding the final stretch. Was the issue of homeland security given the attention it deserved by Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain in their battle for the White House? “No,” says Prof. Joseph King. “I don’t think either candidate has addressed it other than in vague generalities.” Prof. King notes that neither campaign has discussed domestic security, including the candidates’ future plans for the Department of Homeland Security, in any detail: “There is a lack of specificity in both camps.”

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Two top White House counterterrorism posts continue to go unfilled following Frances Townsend’s resignation in January as assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism. While Prof. Joseph King calls this a “terrible situation,” he also says he’s not surprised. “This is basically a lame duck administration and it’s hard to get people to come (to serve) when they know they have an expiration date of January 2008.”

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