Tuesday, May 13, 2008

One Step Back From Atrocities

The charges against Mohammed al-Qhatani are that he was intending to be among the 9-11 crew flying airplanes into U.S. buildings. The evidence against him was obtained by torture, which our officials have called "harsh interrogation". He can probably never be freed, in the opinion of U.S. officials.

The Pentagon has dropped charges against a man alleged to have been the "20th hijacker" in the September 11 attacks, his US military defence lawyer has said.

Mohammed al-Qahtani, who is being held at a US military jail at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was one of six men facing murder and war crimes charges for their alleged roles in the 2001 attacks.

Bryan Broyles, al-Qahtani's military lawyer, said on Monday that Susan Crawford, the convening authority for military commissions, dismissed the charges against al-Qahtani on Friday.

The charges were dismissed "without prejudice," meaning they could be filed again at some point in the future.
(snip)
Al-Qahtani last year retracted a confession he said he made after he was tortured at Guantanamo.

In a written statement he said he was beaten, restrained for long periods in uncomfortable positions, threatened with dogs, exposed to loud music and freezing temperatures and stripped nude in front of female military staff.


The failure to prosecute al-Qhatani, which should be encouraging, suggests to me that the facts to be brought out in court are vile enough that our present administration is afraid of them. I would love for this not to be true, but it increasingly becomes evident that the treatment he received was reprehensible.

One day this prisoner may be testifying at the Hague.

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3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bring 'm over, but I doubt it (the Hague). That court is established for those countries who are unable to engage in a fair justice system, a last resort if you will.

Oh but wait, then there is this Jesse Helms ASPA law that the US can legally invade my country if US citizens (read: military) are held prisoner in a international court case.

2:33 PM  
Blogger Ruth said...

One of the first things this worst administration ever did was condemn the International Court. They were intending to commit war crimes from the start.

2:01 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

..They were intending to commit war crimes from the start.
That can never be said too many times, and can never be forgotten.

11:26 AM  

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