Bring the terror trial here

By Steve Young

As Mayor Nutter has said, "We need to manage expectations about what we can do with the limited resources that we have." That's why the City of Brotherly Love may be the perfect location for the trial of one of the masterminds of the 9/11 attacks.

Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, take note: Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell may be historic, but they're old news. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's trial would be history in the making, with the potential to deliver the city's biggest windfall since William Penn conned the Lenape out of Fishtown. And federal support from a relieved Obama administration could help solve the city's budget crisis.

All Nutter has to do is invite the trial to the Convention Center, home of the (yawn) Home Show, Auto Show, and Flower Show. The Mohammed Show would top them all for family entertainment.

Given the probable length of the trial, we'd have the place booked for years. And it would make everything else in the city look less interesting than a Sixers game.

The Mohammed trial would be far more exciting than the Philadelphia meter maids who star in Parking Wars. Think Jersey Shore meets Gitmo. Or Rocky vs. Osama. Forget M. Night Shyamalan; what better setting for Oliver Stone's historical inaccuracies than historical Philadelphia?

And the country needn't fear that we'd let Mohammed off the hook. Given that the Philly media wanted to see Vince Fumo put to death for taking a few inappropriate boat rides, imagine what they would do to a terrorist. In other words, don't expect any "Khalid's Upside" editorials. And advertisers would be climbing over one another to take advantage of the killer impact on circulation. As everyone knows, terrorism trials sell cars.

Oh, sure, there will be naysayers who argue that a terrorist trial poses a threat Philadelphia can't deal with. But tell that to the drivers on the Schuylkill.

During weekends and nights, meanwhile, there would be plenty of room for Mohammed at the abandoned 53,000-square-foot Levitz furniture showroom just off Route 95 in Levittown - a quick commute from the Convention Center. This temporary Bucks County Gitmo would be the perfect complement to Sesame Place.

I can see the marketing campaign now: "Have your next terrorist trial here. With love, Philadelphia XOXO."