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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| US charges six suspects over 9/11 | US charges six suspects over 9/11 |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The Pentagon has announced charges against six Guantanamo Bay prisoners over their alleged involvement in the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US. | The Pentagon has announced charges against six Guantanamo Bay prisoners over their alleged involvement in the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US. |
| Prosecutors will seek the death penalty for the six, who include alleged plot mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. | Prosecutors will seek the death penalty for the six, who include alleged plot mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. |
| The charges, the first for Guantanamo inmates directly related to 9/11, are expected to be heard by a controversial military tribunal system. | The charges, the first for Guantanamo inmates directly related to 9/11, are expected to be heard by a controversial military tribunal system. |
| About 3,000 people died in the hijacked plane attacks. | About 3,000 people died in the hijacked plane attacks. |
| The Guantanamo Bay detention centre, in south-east Cuba, began to receive US military prisoners in January 2002. Hundreds have been released without charge but about 275 remain and the US hopes to try about 80. | The Guantanamo Bay detention centre, in south-east Cuba, began to receive US military prisoners in January 2002. Hundreds have been released without charge but about 275 remain and the US hopes to try about 80. |
| Tribunal process | Tribunal process |
| Brig Gen Thomas Hartmann, a legal adviser to the head of the Pentagon's Office of Military Commissions, said the charges alleged a "long-term, highly sophisticated plan by al-Qaeda to attack the US". | Brig Gen Thomas Hartmann, a legal adviser to the head of the Pentagon's Office of Military Commissions, said the charges alleged a "long-term, highly sophisticated plan by al-Qaeda to attack the US". |
| The accused will have his opportunity to have his day in court Brig Gen Thomas Hartmann | The accused will have his opportunity to have his day in court Brig Gen Thomas Hartmann |
| He said there would be "no secret trials" and that they would be "as completely open as possible". | He said there would be "no secret trials" and that they would be "as completely open as possible". |
| "Relatively little amounts of evidence will be classified," Gen Hartmann said. | "Relatively little amounts of evidence will be classified," Gen Hartmann said. |
| The other five defendants are Ramzi Binalshibh, a Yemeni, Walid Bin Attash, also from Yemen, Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, who was born in Balochistan, Pakistan, and raised in Kuwait, Mustafa Ahmad al-Hawsawi, a Saudi, and Mohammed al-Qahtani. | |
| Gen Hartmann said the charges included conspiracy, murder in violation of the laws of war, attacking civilians, destruction of property and terrorism. | Gen Hartmann said the charges included conspiracy, murder in violation of the laws of war, attacking civilians, destruction of property and terrorism. |
| All but Mr Qahtani and Mr Hawsawi are also charged with hijacking or hazarding an aircraft. | All but Mr Qahtani and Mr Hawsawi are also charged with hijacking or hazarding an aircraft. |
| SUSPECTS CHARGED Khalid Sheikh MohammedWalid Bin Attash (above)Ramzi BinalshibhAli Abd al-Aziz AliMustafa Ahmad al-HawsawiMohammed al-Qahtani Profile: The six suspectsQ&A: Guantanamo trials | |
| The charges listed "169 overt acts allegedly committed by the defendants in furtherance of the September 11 events". | The charges listed "169 overt acts allegedly committed by the defendants in furtherance of the September 11 events". |
| Gen Hartmann said: "The accused will have his opportunity to have his day in court. | |
| "It's our obligation to move the process forward, to give these people their rights." | "It's our obligation to move the process forward, to give these people their rights." |
| In listing more details of the charges against the defendants, Gen Hartmann alleged that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed had proposed the attacks to al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in 1996, had obtained funding and overseen the operation and the training of hijackers in Afghanistan and Pakistan. | In listing more details of the charges against the defendants, Gen Hartmann alleged that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed had proposed the attacks to al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in 1996, had obtained funding and overseen the operation and the training of hijackers in Afghanistan and Pakistan. |
| Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, a Kuwaiti of Pakistani extraction, was said to have been al-Qaeda's third in command when he was captured in Pakistan in March 2003. | Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, a Kuwaiti of Pakistani extraction, was said to have been al-Qaeda's third in command when he was captured in Pakistan in March 2003. |
| He has reportedly admitted to decapitating kidnapped US journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002 but these charges do not relate to that. | He has reportedly admitted to decapitating kidnapped US journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002 but these charges do not relate to that. |
| The BBC's Vincent Dowd in Washington says Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has said he planned every part of the 9/11 attacks but that his confession may prove problematic as the CIA admitted using controversial "waterboarding" techniques. | The BBC's Vincent Dowd in Washington says Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has said he planned every part of the 9/11 attacks but that his confession may prove problematic as the CIA admitted using controversial "waterboarding" techniques. |
| Human rights groups regard the procedure as torture. | Human rights groups regard the procedure as torture. |
| Legal challenge | Legal challenge |
| The charges will now be sent to Susan Crawford, the convening authority for the military commissions, to determine whether they will be referred to trial. | The charges will now be sent to Susan Crawford, the convening authority for the military commissions, to determine whether they will be referred to trial. |
| The US has about 275 prisoners left in the detention centre | |
| Any trials would be held by military tribunal under the terms of the Military Commissions Act, passed by the US Congress in 2006. | Any trials would be held by military tribunal under the terms of the Military Commissions Act, passed by the US Congress in 2006. |
| The Act set up tribunals to try terror suspects who were not US citizens. | The Act set up tribunals to try terror suspects who were not US citizens. |
| The law is being challenged by two prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, who say they are being deprived of their rights to have their cases heard by a US civilian court. | The law is being challenged by two prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, who say they are being deprived of their rights to have their cases heard by a US civilian court. |
| Responding to the new charges, a representative of Mohammed al-Qahtani said they would create "show trials". | |
| Centre for Constitutional Rights in New York executive director Vincent Warren said: "These trials will be using evidence obtained by torture as a means to convict someone and execute them and that is absolutely abhorrent to what we believe in here in America.'' | |
| Nineteen men hijacked four planes in the 9/11 attacks. Two planes hit the World Trade Center in New York, another the Pentagon in Washington and the fourth crashed in Pennsylvania. | Nineteen men hijacked four planes in the 9/11 attacks. Two planes hit the World Trade Center in New York, another the Pentagon in Washington and the fourth crashed in Pennsylvania. |
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