KSM (2003) captured in Pakistan and today at Gitmo
(The 9/11 Mastermind)
The
Four Others to Stand Trial with KSM for 9/11
(Various 9/11 Connected Crimes)
Major update here from UK’s The
Independent – the highlights:
A trial date has been set for
Khalid Sheikh Mohammad (known as KSM) – the man accused of orchestrating the
9/11 terror attacks. He is was a senior al-Qaeda figure branded “the principal
architect of the atrocity.”
He will
stand trial in Gitmo (Guantánamo Bay) starting on January 11, 2021 alongside
four other men (now ordered by the
military judge).
All five are charged with war
crimes, including terrorism, hijacking planes, and nearly 3,000 counts of
murder for their alleged roles masterminding the attacks on New York’s World Trade
Center and the Pentagon. All five will face the death penalty if found guilty.
Judge Col W. Shane Cohen
admitted “a host of administrative and logistics challenges could blight the
trial,” meaning its beginning could be delayed until after the 20th anniversary
of the terror event.
The trial will be a step
forward in a prolonged
legal battle to bring prosecutions under civilian and military law for
the attacks that rocked the world that has seen several previous attempts fail.
KSM, who the Pentagon says
was involved “from A to Z” was detained in Pakistan in 2003 and taken to
Guantánamo Bay in Cuba, where he was charged. He also said he would plead
guilty ahead of a 2008 effort to trial him.
But all that time has prompted
three years of legal wrangling as former President Barack Obama clashed with
Congress over his plan to relocate proceedings to New York so that he could
fulfil his pledge to close down Guantánamo. All five of terrorists were then
charged in June 2011.
Mohammad’s co-defendants are Walid bin-Attash, alleged to have run
an al-Qaida training camp in Afghanistan for two hijackers and Ammar al-Baluchi, accused of playing a
central part in funding the hijackers and their flight school training.
The other two are Ramzi bin al-Shibh, a Yemeni alleged of
planning logistics for the attack, and Mustafa
Ahmad al-Hawsawi, a Saudi alleged of supplying cash, credit cards and
clothing for the hijackers.
Hearings for the group are
scheduled for August as lawyers for the defendants try to stop prosecutors from
using confessions made to the FBI in 2006.
Their
lawyers claim the five men did so under duress.
KSM claims he was tortured
during his stay in Cuba. CIA documents show he underwent simulated drowning,
known as waterboarding, 183 times.
Kind of related is this from
Trump who said in June 2019: “I
think I know who was behind 9/11 attacks.”
Trump, in contrast to
the Obama's policy, (to have NY federal trials and close Gitmo) previously pledged to
“load it up with some bad dudes” but has not mentioned the prison lately.
My 2 cents: Hopefully this case will not be as this old legal quip states:
“Justice delayed is justice denied.”
But with any trial that has this much times elapsed after the crime can
be tricky – we hope this one is not.
Justice must be served and hopefully to full extent of the law and ends
with their execution (all four).
Stay tuned – updates will follow.
Thanks for stopping by.
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