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June 08, 2008
Guantanamo Arraignment
Defense, Prosecution Chiefs Differ As Guantanamo Arraignment Ends
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
U.S. NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY
The chiefs of defense and prosecution offered different views of the day's results to reporters yesterday after five accused terrorists heard the charges filed against them for their alleged role in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America at an arraignment.
The judge, Marine Col. Ralph H. Kohlmann, informed Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak bin Attash, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al-Hawsawi, of the nature of the charges filed against them, which include terrorism, conspiracy, hijacking and murder. Each defendant was served nine referred charges, including two specifications of one of the charges, on May 21.
All five defendants would reject court-appointed defense counsel and elect to represent themselves before the day long hearing was over.
Kohlmann had tried in vain to convince each of the five defendants that it would be wiser to retain professional counsel, rather than electing to represent themselves during a trial that's expected to begin in mid-September.
Army Col. Steven David, the chief defense counsel, told reporters at a post arraignment news conference that four of the defendants may have been influenced by Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans.
It's universally understood in the legal community that defendants are not helping their cases when they choose to represent themselves in a court of law, David pointed out to reporters.
Mohammed was the first of the group to be addressed by Kohlmann at the arraignment, and the accused terrorist also was first to opt to reject his court appointed lawyers and choose to represent himself.
In court, Mohammed was overheard to have exclaimed to fellow defendant Hawsawi: "What! Are you in the American Army now?" said Army Maj. Jon Jackson, one of Hawsawi's court appointed military attorneys.
Jackson told reporters it appeared as if Mohammed had intimidated Hawsawi, the last of the defendants to be arraigned.
As the day wore on, it seemed as if the defendants who followed Mohammed marched in lockstep with him, as each chose to be his own attorney at trial. The five men are to be tried jointly, just as they appeared at today's hearing.
Chief prosecutor Army Col. Lawrence Morris emphasized to reporters that the government has to respect the defendants' decision to represent themselves in court.
Morris reminded reporters that the five defendants now in U.S. custody are the people "most responsible for the murder of 2,973 individuals."
Nineteen people in U.S. custody have been charged with crimes under the Military Commissions Act, Morris noted. Today's arraignment was conducted under the auspices of the act.
The Military Commissions Act established procedures governing the use of military commissions to try alien unlawful enemy combatants engaged in hostilities against the United States for violations of the law of war and other offenses that can be tried by military commission, according to a military commissions fact sheet.
The chief prosecutor expressed his confidence in the fitness of the military commissions system as a means to dispense justice.
"As you continue to see, the military commissions process is an orderly, fair, open legal system, remarkably similar to other trials in United States courts," Morris said. "The prosecution team will continue to work diligently to bring all cases to trial in a fair and expeditious manner, consistent with the best practices in both civilian and military courts."
Wild Thing's comment........
I am all for death for these terrorists!!
Posted by Wild Thing at June 8, 2008 01:45 AM
Comments
I am too WT, but that super max CONCRETE cell deal INSIDE the Colorado mountain may be tempting if these islamofascists really WANT TO BE martyrs-
23 hours in cement and 1 hour of rec time... forever. Crucifixtion on a CROSS at Ground Zero, bathed in pork gravy... would be tempting? Film it for Al-Jazeera too, and the UN humanity council?
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at June 8, 2008 04:50 AM
Yeah, Florence, Colorado is the perfect place for these moronic, buttheaded retards. But no outside recreation. No light of day for any of them and they have to attend religious ceremonies of all the religions they spit on and hurt when they decided to pull such an awful deed on 9-11. Plus, they have only pork products to eat in regards to protein and when they die, they will be buried in pork products to keep them from entering their afterlife. They hurt us, now we hurt them. No martyrdom for them. Killing them would just make the enemy stronger because they're "martyrs."
I know, I'm mean, aren't I? Giggle-Giggle.
Posted by: Lynn at June 8, 2008 11:40 AM
Darth, oh yesss I forgot about that warm and fuzzy place. heh heh That is a good idea too.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 8, 2008 04:45 PM
Lynn, hahhaa no your not mean you have a good idea.
Maybe they could be used for waterboard practice while they are in prison. haha
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 8, 2008 04:48 PM
Florence, Colorado sounds good. However, I would have a constant repeating recording of "Babe" playing in their cells for the 23 hours.
Posted by: Les at June 8, 2008 05:15 PM
Les, heh heh.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 8, 2008 11:22 PM
Lone Star MEAN? Like WT: TIGRESSES on the hunt! "I like MEAN" to quote Harvey Korman in 'Blazing Saddles' aka: Hedley Lamarrrrrrr!
God I miss Harvey already.... Staying cool in this 97 degree BS!
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at June 9, 2008 02:13 AM
Darth, me too, he was so funny, a natural with comedy.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 9, 2008 03:28 AM
