At a Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) panel last night titled “In the Balance: Terrorism, Security and Civil Liberties," three participants spoke eloquently about the need to preserve the constitutional rights of terrorism defendants. Faced with the provocative question, "What would you do if Attorney General Eric Holder decided that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, should be tried in Seattle?" US Federal District Court Judge John C. Coughenour said "bring it on"; human-rights activist and Muslim American Jafar Siddiqui said he would work to counter any Al-Qaeda rhetoric at the trial by displaying positive views of American Muslims; and deputy Seattle police chief Nick Metz joked that he would immediately put in for vacation time—then said he was up to the task.

Judge Coughenour deftly shot down the suggestion that Shaikh Mohammed and other Al-Qaeda members should be tried by military tribunals instead of in civil court, noting that there have been hundreds of successful terror prosecutions in federal civil courts since 9/11.

The panel discussion was held in conjunction with an exhibit at MOHI called “The Enemy Within: Terror in America—1776 to Today," on display through May 2.