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| Bin Laden driver makes jury plea | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Prosecutors at a US military trial in Guantanamo Bay have demanded a sentence of not less than 30 years for Osama Bin Laden's former driver. | |
| Salim Hamdan was convicted on Wednesday of supporting terrorism but acquitted of conspiracy to murder. | |
| Hamdan, a Yemeni, pleaded with the sentencing jury, saying he had only a "relationship of respect" as an employee of Bin Laden. | |
| The verdict was the first in a full war crimes trial at the US prison in Cuba. | |
| The White House said the trial was a "fair and appropriate legal process". | |
| But the defence team has already announced an appeal. | |
| Future appeals | |
| The jury of six US military officers, not the judge, imposes the sentence under the tribunal rules. | |
| HAMDAN CHARGES Conspiracy:Not guilty of two counts of conspiring with al-Qaeda to attack civilians, destroy property and commit murderProviding support for terrorism:Guilty on five counts, including being the driver and bodyguard for Osama Bin Laden, a man he knew to be the leader of a terrorist group. Not guilty on three other counts class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/7546107.stm">Profile: Salim Hamdan class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=5206&edition=1">Send us your comments class="" href="/1/hi/world/7546355.stm">Timeline: Al-Qaeda | |
| Future appeals can lower but not increase the sentence. | |
| In his appeal to the jury, Hamdan said in a prepared statement: "It's true there are work opportunities in Yemen, but not at the level I needed after I got married and not to the level of ambitions that I had in my future." | |
| Hamdan, who is aged about 40, had admitted working for Bin Laden in Afghanistan from 1997 to 2001 for $200 (£99) a month, but said he worked for wages, not to wage war on the US. | |
| Convicting him on five counts of aiding terrorism, the jury accepted he was a member of al-Qaeda who had served as Bin Laden's armed bodyguard and driver while knowing that the al-Qaeda leader was plotting attacks against the US. | Convicting him on five counts of aiding terrorism, the jury accepted he was a member of al-Qaeda who had served as Bin Laden's armed bodyguard and driver while knowing that the al-Qaeda leader was plotting attacks against the US. |
| But he was found not guilty on three other counts of aiding terrorism, alleging that he knew that his work would be used for terrorism and that he provided surface-to-air missiles to al-Qaeda. | But he was found not guilty on three other counts of aiding terrorism, alleging that he knew that his work would be used for terrorism and that he provided surface-to-air missiles to al-Qaeda. |
| He was also cleared of two charges of conspiracy, alleging that he was part of the al-Qaeda effort to attack the US - the most serious charges he faced. | He was also cleared of two charges of conspiracy, alleging that he was part of the al-Qaeda effort to attack the US - the most serious charges he faced. |
| About 270 suspects remain in detention in Guantanamo Bay. | About 270 suspects remain in detention in Guantanamo Bay. |
| Among the dozens of other inmates due to be tried there in the coming months are men accused of plotting the 9/11 attacks. | Among the dozens of other inmates due to be tried there in the coming months are men accused of plotting the 9/11 attacks. |