The New York Times reports Feb. 9 that military prosecutors are in the final phases of preparing a “sweeping” case against suspected conspirators in the 9-11 plot. The charges, to be filed in the military commission system at Guantánamo Bay, are said to involve six detainees at the camp, including Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, known as “KSM.” However, KSM was subject to waterboarding while in CIA custody, the agency’s director Gen. Michael V. Hayden confirmed this week—throwing into question his supposed confession that “I was responsible for the 9-11 operation, from A to Z.”
The other defendants are said to be Ramzi bin al-Shibh (alleged link between hijackers and al-Qaeda leadership), Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi (Saudi logistics man for al-Qaeda), Walid bin Attash (also known as Tawfiq bin Attash, allegedly Osama bin Laden’s former bodyguard who helped plan the USS Cole bombing in Yemen as well as 9-11), Ammar al-Baluchi (AKA Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, cousin of 1993 WTC bombing defendant Ramzi Yousef and nephew of KSM) and Mohammed al-Qahtani (a prospective “20th hijacker” who was denied entry to the US at Orlando airport a month before 9-11).
While most in the US seem to think that supposed would-be “20th hijacker” Zacarias Moussaoui is the only man yet convicted in relation to 9-11, Syrian Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas, AKA Abu Dahdah was also convicted of involvement in the conspiracy by the Spanish courts in 2005. Both he and Moussaoui were convicted in regular civilian courts, while these new six defendants will be facing military tribunals.
See our last posts on al-Qaeda and the conspiracy theories.
