Egypt's president-elect Mohammed Morsi is vowing to free a sheik jailed in the U.S. for a plot to blow up a series of New York City landmarks.

In a speech to tens of thousands in Cairo's Tahrir Square, Morsi promised to work to free Omar Abdel-Rahman, the blind spiritual leader of the men convicted in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

The Egyptians NY1 spoke to in the City don't agree with the new president.

"I think he has extended himself and I don't think the U.S. administration, either Democrats or Republican, are going to give a convicted terrorist a break," said Egyptian U.N. Correspondent Hamed Fathi.

"It would really unfair for the American people who lost their lives and lost their loved ones in a terrorist attack on 9/11 or before that to see the person who is responsible for the act just walk free," said Egyptian citizen Mahmoud Ali.

Abdel-Rahman is serving a life sentence at a federal prison in North Carolina.

Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand denounced the Egyptian leader's remarks, as did Mayor Bloomberg, who said he would oppose any effort to undermine Abdel-Rahman's life sentence.