Chaos besets 9/11 court hearing

[demoleft]

Source: bbc

Scenes of chaos have gripped a US military court in Guantanamo Bay where five alleged 9/11 plotters were due to appear together before a judge.

All five, including alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, initially refused to attend the hearing.

The judge rejected prosecution calls for them to be compelled to attend but three did appear after a recess.


Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8153842.stm

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here's from al jazeera, other details of the court day:

'Thursday's hearing was concerned with legal motions regarding whether Binalshibh and al-Hawsawi are fit to stand trial.

Navy Commander Suzanne Lachelier, Binalshibh's lawyer, asked the court to permit a defence analyst to check CT scans of her client's brain.

She also said that further tests, including an MRI, could be undertaken to "determine whether any lesions in brain affect his cognitive functioning".'

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/07/2009716185849163774.html

[Chemisse]

1. A telling detail

From the BBC article:

The US military lawyer representing Mr Binalshibh said he suffered from a delusional disorder.

When the lawyer went into detail about how he had been deprived of sleep, her microphone was cut off.

[bemildred]

2. Can't do show trials without really effective secret police. nt

[flyarm]

3. Censors come out at Gitmo war crimes hearing

Censors come out at Gitmo war crimes hearing

Associated Press — “A reference to harsh treatment at CIA prisons brought out Guantanamo’s censors Thursday as an official of the war crimes court abruptly cut the sound to prevent spectators from hearing classified information.

“Cmdr. Suzanne Lachelier, a lawyer appointed by the Pentagon to defend 9/11 suspect Ramzi bin al Shibh, began discussing the prisoner’s treatment before he was taken to Guantanamo in September 2006 when the censor hit the switch.”

Link.

http://rawstory.com/blog/2009/07/censors-appaer-at-war-crimes-haering/