Guantánamo Trial Set After 25 Years | Oakland News

0:0025 years after the September 11 attacks, the alleged plotters still haven't faced a trial. A military judge at Guantanamo Bay has now ordered jury selection to begin on June 5, 2028, for four defendants, including Khalid, Sheikh Muhammad, whose accused of mastermining the attacks. Families of the victims are expressing frustration, as this case has been in pretrial phases for an incredibly long time. The four men slated for trial are Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, Walid bin Atash, Amar al-Baluchi, and Mustafa al-Hasawi. They are facing the death penalty on charges like conspiracy and murder. A fifth defendant, Ramzi bin al-Shib, is no longer part of this case due to mental fitness issues. Prosecutors believe Muhammad directed the hijacking plot, using the planes as weapons against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. This case has become complicated because the U.S. opted for military commissions instead of federal courts to prosecute these terrorism suspects. This hybrid system has seen multiple judges and personnel cycling

1:04through, making the process lengthy. For example, the current judge is the fifth to oversee this case since the defendants were first-or-rained back in 2012. Adding to the delays, statements made by Khalid Sheikh Muhammad during his time in secret CIA detention, which included coercive treatment waterboarding are a major hurdle. A recent ruling excluded statements he made to the FBI in 2007, arguing they weren't voluntary. Prosecutors are now relying on other evidence, like documents and communications, to build their case, and they've chosen not to appeal the ruling to. Protect the 2028 trial date. While the judge has said a date, many are still skeptical, it will happen as planned, given the history of misdeed lines. For the families, the hope is simply to see the case move forward and reach a verdict acknowledging that justice is a process of presenting the facts in court. You've been listening to Oakland News today, AI-powered local news.