Trial of accused 9/11 mastermind restarting at Guantanamo Bay
- Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is believed to have first proposed crashing jets in the United States
- The case is being heard in a highly secure courtroom on the US naval base, Guantanamo Bay
The prosecution of alleged September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others restarts Tuesday, just days before the 20th anniversary of the attacks, stirring new hopes for justice and retribution.
Mohammed and his co-defendants, who have been locked up at the “War on Terror” prison at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for nearly 15 years, will appear in the military tribunal here for the first time since early 2019.
On Sunday, the new military judge, Air Force Colonel Matthew McCall – the case’s eighth – signalled a slow start, deciding that an initial hearing focused on his own qualifications will take place on Tuesday. Lawyers for both sides are allowed in a war-crimes tribunal to question a new judge for possible bias.
The rest of the week will mostly involve meetings with the military prosecutors and defence teams.