Mohammed, alleged 'mastermind' of 9/11 attacks, wants death (Roundup)

US News

Jun 5, 2008, 15:35 GMT

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba - The alleged mastermind of the September 11 2001, terrorist attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, said he wished to be martyred and hoped to receive the death penalty as his military tribunal began Thursday at this remote US naval base in Cuba. A handout photo obtained 01 March 2003, shows Al-Qaeda operative Khalid Sheikh Mohammed shortly after his capture, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks has allegedly confessed to his role in them, and 29 other terror plots around the world. EPA/HANDOUT

A handout photo obtained 01 March 2003, shows Al-Qaeda operative Khalid Sheikh Mohammed shortly after his capture, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks has allegedly confessed to his role in them, and 29 other terror plots around the world. EPA/HANDOUTMohammed, sitting unshackled at the front table of the courtroom wearing a white turban and tunic, and frequently using his hand to brush his long, thick, black and gray beard, told the presiding judge that he did not want to be represented by US attorneys because of President George W Bush's 'crusade' against Muslims. He demanded he speak for himself. Mohammed, believed to have once been al-Qaeda's third-ranking operative, was animated when he appeared in court and in public for the first time since his capture five years ago. He appeared with four al-Qaeada defendants to hear the charges against them for allegedly organizing the attacks. If convicted, all five could be executed. 'This is what I want,' Mohammed, 54, said in English, when the judge, Marine Colonel Ralph Kohlmann, warned him that he faced the death penalty and of the unwisdom of rejecting legal representation. Mohammed, the most notorious of all detainees held in Guantanamo Bay, was animated as he addressed the court and at times paused to pray in Arabic. Mohammed rejected the proceedings, saying he can be tried only under Islamic Sharia law and dismissed the US legal process. 'From religion view we cannot accept any American citizen to represent us' Mohammed said, standing at the front table as the other four suspects, also wearing white tunics, sat in succession behind him. Mohammed's attorneys tried to persuade him to reverse his decision on legal representation, as Kohlmann patiently questioned Mohammed to ensure he understood the consequences before granting him his request. 'The court accepts that choice,' Kohlmann said. Mohammed said, however, for the time being he would like to retain his legal team to provide him with advice as he represents himself. The five detainees were held for years in secret CIA prisons after their capture before being transferred to military custody at Guantanamo in September 2006 to stand trial. The court appearance marks the first time since their arrests the men have been seen publicly. The US military was not allowing photos or television broadcasts of the proceedings, but invited several dozen reporters and a handful of human rights activists to the base to watch. Mohammed also wore thick, black-rimmed glasses he slid to his forehead to examine documents and replied 'yes' when Kohlmann, asked him if he understood English or would prefer a translator. 'Mine is not bad,' Mohammed said in English while requesting the occasional use of a translator. 'In some cases I will translate it in English to be more accurate,' Mohammed told the judge, adding previous statements have been poorly translated. 'No need for translator now.' The four other defendants are Ramzi bin al-Shibh, the alleged liaison between the hijackers and al-Qaeda's leadership; Walid bin Attash, believed to have trained some of the hijackers; Ali Abd al- Aziz Ali, Mohammed's nephew and alleged deputy; and Mustafa Ahmed al- Hawsawi, suspected of helping the hijackers enroll in flight schools. All of them seemed capable of speaking some English but retained their right to use translators. Bin al-Shibh leaned forward at times, smiling and chatting with Mohammed. Mohammed reportedly admitted in a statement during his captivity that he planned the September 11 attacks from 'A to Z' along with a host of other terrorist attacks and plots. He also admitted to the murder of American Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002 in Pakistan. The Pentagon released a transcript of his statement in March 2007. The charges against them include 169 counts of murder in violation of the law of war, conspiracy, attacking civilians and civilian objects, terrorism and hijacking. Other charges are causing serious bodily injury, destruction of property and providing material support for terrorism. Motions are expected to take place in the coming weeks and a September 15 date has been tentatively set for opening arguments. Mohammed has been a focus of civil rights groups who argue the US government abused or tortured him during his years of secret confinement. The CIA has admitted that Mohammed, often referred to as KSM, was among three detainees subjected to waterboarding, an interrogation technique that simulates drowning. The trial of Mohammed and the four others is the first big case so far to appear before the controversial military commissions set up by President George W Bush to try suspects in the war on terrorism. Although Bush announced the commissions in 2002, the process has been slow and frequently bogged down by challenges in US federal courts. Not a single trial has been completed. A Supreme Court ruling in 2006 forced Bush to revamp the process and get congressional approval, which he subsequently did. The Supreme Court is set to rule on a case later this month that would allow them to challenge their dentention. A decision against the White House could once again derail Bush's longstanding effort to convict and punish those believed responsible for attacks that left 2,973 people dead. Critics of the latest commissions charge the process remains flawed, mostly because evidence might be admitted that was obtained through mistreatment of detainees and that the rules on the admittance of hearsay evidence are too relaxed. The judge will have final say about what type of evidence is allowed. The five men are being held at a secret location on Guantanamo, off limits to reporters, separate from the main facility housing detainees. There is no facility at Guantanamo Bay for carrying out executions, and it remains unclear how the Pentagon would proceed to hand out a death sentence. The US military has not executed anyone since 1961.

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KathyJun 5th, 2008 - 16:14:30

He wants death? Fine, give it to him and then bury him with a pig.

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Mohammed, alleged 'mastermind' of 9/11 attacks, wants death (Roundup)

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