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| Al Qaeda media chief stands mute at Guantanamo |
| 2008-10-28 |
| The U.S. war crimes trial of Osama bin Laden's accused media director began Monday with silence from the defense side of the Guantanamo Bay courtroom after the judge ruled the Yemeni defendant had the right to stand mute and offer no defense. Defendant Ali Hamza al Bahlul came to the courtroom on the Guantanamo Bay naval base voluntarily but is boycotting participation because he does not recognize the tribunal's legitimacy. "I will be joining Mr. al Bahlul's boycott of the proceedings, standing mute at the table," said his U.S. military-appointed lawyer, Air Force Maj. David Frakt. The judge, Air Force Col. David Gregory, said the rules allow Frakt to honor his client's wishes by doing nothing, since the prosecution has the entire burden of proving the charges. His further questions to the defense were met with silence. Bahlul is accused of preparing al Qaeda recruiting materials, including a video glorifying the 2000 attack that killed 17 U.S. sailors on the warship USS Cole, preparing the videotaped will of September 11 ringleader Mohamed Atta, and operating communications gear for bin Laden. He is also accused of acting as one of the al Qaeda leader's bodyguards. Bahlul, a man so loquacious that other prisoners have begged not to be held in cells adjacent to his, had made lengthy statements in previous hearings. He acknowledged that "I am from al Qaeda" and expressed loyalty to bin Laden. The judge ruled those statements cannot be used as evidence against him because they were made in the limited context of explaining his intent to boycott. Bahlul, who is about 38, refused to wear the earphones that would allow him to hear an Arabic interpretation of the hearing. He is charged with conspiring with al Qaeda, soliciting to commit murder and providing material support for terrorism. He faces life in prison if convicted. His trial is only the second in the special tribunals created by the Bush administration to try non-U.S. captives on terrorism charges without the protections normally granted to civilians and soldiers. Bin Laden's driver, Salim Hamdan, was convicted at the first one in August of providing material support for terrorism. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #17 Once again, TW slices and dices, without even breaking a sweat... Must suck to be Nasty Jackoff. |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2008-10-28 23:03 |
| #16 Of course he has a mother, Barbara. Even sponge buds come from mother sponges, although of course they don't have fathers... and I'm quite certain mother sponges have expectations of their offspring, just like we humans do. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-10-28 22:06 |
| #15 Does he even have a mother, tw? |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2008-10-28 20:04 |
| #14 I'm confused, Mr. Meandog. You object to offering a bit of sympathy and comfort to man mourning the murder of his son, somehow equating that to a difference in politics? Does your mother know this? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-10-28 19:32 |
| #13 jeebus, Jack Nasty, even I can handle it, so you should be able to, superior intellect and moral high ground and sech. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-10-28 18:38 |
| #12 if you want a better country, run on reality, not stereotypes. i cannot describe the depth of anger that i hold for platitudinous jackasses like GWB and McCain. Cut loose of your inner KooooooooooK much? |
| Posted by: .5MT 2008-10-28 18:26 |
| #11 Jack Nasty: I've just redacted three of your comments. You're new here. Learn the rules. We don't like personal attacks, we don't blame all Muslims for what a substantial minority have done, and we're not particularly into toilet humor. Read the comments here and you'll see how it's done well. We're into civil, well-reasoned discourse. And snark, done with wit. AoS (moderator) |
| Posted by: Steve White 2008-10-28 18:22 |
| #10 Entirely too much nuance Jack. Let it out man! Holding all of this inward could lead to duodenal ulcers, bleeding,, perforation, narrowing and obstruction....spitting, vomiting, etc. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-10-28 17:57 |
| #9 trailing wife: solemn declarations like yours got us into the current mess. we continue to elect pseudo leaders who vomit specious pseudo principles, which the sheepish masses refuse to examine. if you want a better country, run on reality, not stereotypes. i cannot describe the depth of anger that i hold for platitudinous jackasses like GWB and McCain. do your country a favor and refuse to wax carbon copy eloquence whenever a musical chair opens up. get angry at bad leaders and pseuds like steve white (may his stomach acids burn off his arrogant self conceit). The problem in Iraq, Afghanistan and Washington: pseudo niceness. we need a meaner and nastier America. I spit in the face of faith based marshmallows posing as humans. There should have been 20,000,000 enemy dead since 9-11. Bad leadership and stereotypical thinking shielded our homicidal swords. Don't comfort people; buy them guns, dammit. |
| Posted by: Jack Nasty Meandog 2008-10-28 17:40 |
| #8 Your son gave his life to protect our freedom, Mr. Swenchonis. We here at Rantburg understand the magnitude of his gift, and hope that thought will provide you with some comfort as we all mourn a good man's life cut short by those who chose evil. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-10-28 17:26 |
| #7 Kaffir got your tongue? Heh. |
| Posted by: .5MT 2008-10-28 17:06 |
| #6 Its my hope that i will get to talk to this terrorist in person. I am supposed to attend the trial, we leave Fiday. I want to tell him how Bin Laden, and killers like him have shattered our dreams after the Cole attack which killed our son. I just came from a website of a lawyer that is bragging about how he is representing these creeps for free. In the name of Human Rights. What about all the innocent rights of Al-Qeada victims? Gary G. Swenchonis, Sr |
| Posted by: Gary Swenchonis 2008-10-28 16:55 |
| #5 he don't agree with the tribunals legitmacy. Good we don't agree with al queadas legitamcy either. |
| Posted by: chris 2008-10-28 10:16 |
| #4 Smarter judges let fools who want to play the martyr do so. It doesn't help their defense, and it takes away grounds to appeal. I heard of one federal judge who had a wink-wink, nod-nod agreement with a prosecutor to let a right wing kook defend himself. The kook spent four days ranting and raving, without objection, before his voice burned out. Then the judge found him guilty. Before sentencing, the kook actually thanked the court for letting him have his say, and happily went off to prison. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-10-28 10:00 |
| #3 I wish that the judge could air an Arabic translation during the trial, forcing Bahul to hear and understand what was going on. From previous accounts of him, the man is an impulsive talker and would find it very difficult to not respond to what was going on around him. Sadly, Col. Gregory will stick with procedures, allowing this scumbag to appear much more disciplined and martyred that he is. |
| Posted by: Richard of Oregon 2008-10-28 08:46 |
| #2 The U.S. war crimes trial of Osama bin Laden's accused media director began Monday with silence from the defense side of the Guantanamo Bay courtroom after the judge ruled the Yemeni defendant had the right to stand mute and offer no defense. What's the matter Bahlul? Kaffir got your tongue? |
| Posted by: Hupusing Stalin7098 2008-10-28 08:12 |
| #1 I don't know whether to admire these military lawyers or put them in the great tree bark grinder most lawyers belong. But it has to be a thankless job, whatever. How can you get up in the morning, put that uniform on and then sit down with the scum of the earth and say to yourself "I am protecting the constitution of the United States of America". I couldn't do it. |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2008-10-28 06:52 |