St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church stood in the shadows of the World Trade Center until September 11, 2001.  It was destroyed when one of the towers fell on it.  For nine long years the congregation has been trying to rebuild the church but has been stonewalled by government officials.  In 2008 a deal was struck with the Port Authority where the Port Authority would provide land and $20 million to rebuild the church, but the deal appears to be dead.  According to the Port Authority:

 “the church was making additional demands — like wanting the $20 million up front and wanting to review plans for the surrounding area. They say the church can still proceed on its own if it wishes.

“’The church continues to have the right to rebuild at their original site, and we will pay fair market value for the underground space beneath that building,’ a spokesperson with the Port Authority told Fox News.”

The church sees it differently:

“But Karloutsos [assistant to the Archbishop] called the Port Authority’s claims ‘propaganda’ and said the church has complied with all conditions. He said the government should honor agreements that date back to 2004, under former New York Gov. George Pataki.

“Pataki, speaking with Fox News on Tuesday, agreed that the church should be rebuilt.

“’I don’t understand it,’ Pataki said. ‘Why the Port Authority now has so far put roadblocks in the way of its reconstruction is beyond me. It’s not the right thing to do.’”

Contrast this nine year marathon to the sprint that the mosque at Ground Zero is running.  The proponents are waving the flag of religious freedom, but is that the real flag?  Or is it a triumph of the radicals who knocked down the World Trade Center and now want to plant their victory flag in its place?  Consider the following:

1. It is called the Cordoba Initiative.  Historically speaking Cordoba was the high point of Islamic advance in Europe in the Middle Ages.  They built their grand mosque on the foundation of a cathedral.  If nothing else it’s an interesting choice of names.
2. The Imam behind the project said, only days after 9/11, that the US was an accessory in the attack and that Osama bin Laden was “made in the USA”
3. Who is funding the project?  If this is to build bridges between Muslims and non-Muslims in America, why isn’t being funded by all the moderate Muslims in America?  It is believed that money is coming from Saudi Arabia and Iran.  Why is that necessary?

The primary objection to the mosque is not that they don’t have a right to build it but that in building it so close to Ground Zero that it is incredibly insensitive.  How do you begin to build bridges by sticking your thumb in the eye of the people you are trying to win over?  It seems to suggest other motives.  Remembering the glee around the Middle East immediately following 9/11, I can imagine a similar celebration upon the completion of a mosque at Ground Zero.  If that is their real motive and it gets built, it will forever be a stake piercing the hearts of the families of those who died.

Over the past eleven months, have you ever gotten a feeling that you are watching a magician, rather than a president run our country?  As any practitioner of the art of the illusionist will tell you, one of the key things is to keep the audience distracted.  Have them watch the left hand, while the right is slipping the coin into the pocket.  The Obama Administration is about to unleash their greatest trick yet, trying Khalid Sheik Mohammed in civil court in New York for the 9/11 attack on America.  Why?

The Greatest Show On Earth

The trial will become an absolute three ring circus, with all the world watching closely.  The liberal pundits say, “this is our chance to show the world our justice system.  We can demonstrate how civilized we are, and show the Muslim world how fair we are.”  Really?

Remember to the footage in the Muslim world immediately following the collapse of the World Trade Center towers.  They were dancing in the street, laughing and singing, shouting praise to Allah.  What do you think the reaction will be if Khalid Sheik Mohammed, jumps up in court and screams out, “Kill the infidels! This is a fraud meant to disguise these devil’s tricks!”  Do we let him ramble with a global audience?  Do we have the bailiffs wrestle him to the ground?  Do we put him in restraints for the rest of the trial?  Who exactly is going to show the world what?

We Have No Secrets

In a civilian trial there is a process called discovery, where the defense is told everything the prosecution plans on bringing to court, including witnesses, so that the defense has a chance to prepare their rebuttal case.  How much of the CIA’s methods and contacts are we prepared to reveal to the world and to Khalid Sheik Mohammed’s allies?  Or, how much are we not going to use in order to protect that information and at the same time increase the chances that he will be acquitted?

Can Anybody Say O.J.?

Do you remember the O.J. Simpson trial?  A slam-dunk if ever there was one.  There was blood evidence, DNA evidence, means, motive, opportunity, it couldn’t get any easier.  But what happened?  Judge Lance Ito, lost control of his court room in the klieg lights of national television.  One of O.J.’s attorneys or advisors told O.J. to stop taking his arthritis medication  so his hands would swell and then the famous glove trick, abra cadabra, “If the glove doesn’t fit, you must acquit.”  What happened after that trial?  Dancing in the streets of the black community.

The Jury Pool

Are Muslims going to be excluded from the jury pool?  If so, on what grounds and would a judge allow it?  In the O.J. case we had what was called jury nullification, where a jury handed up a verdict not based on the evidence presented, but based on a social determination.  O.J. was a symbol for all black men put on trial and all past injustices.  He was a sports hero to millions and he wasn’t going down, no matter what.  What if a someone with strong beliefs sees disrupting the outcome of the trial as the new jihad?  Don’t use suicide bombers in New York, that’s so Middle East, let’s kill them softly by getting Khalid Sheik Mohammed acquitted or a give them a hung jury.  What better way to humiliate the Great Satan.  It will be like David and Goliath all over again.

The Real Trial

Or is it really the Bush Administration that Obama wants to put on trial?  The Obama administration’s popularity is sinking link a stone.  The stimulus package was a bust.  Cap and Trade is a disaster.  Health care a debacle.  Tea Party’s are breaking out all over.  The Democrats got trounced in Virginia and New Jersey, and even New York’s 23rd is still alive as recounts have dramatically closed the gap. A show trial of the Bush Administration is just what the Obama Administration needs to keep the focus off what they are really doing.

This is a tragedy and a travesty and there should be no end to the shame heaped upon this administration if they follow through on this.