Obama Receives Letter From Alleged 9/11 Mastermind

Guantanamo prison had been holding onto it for two years
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 17, 2017 1:56 PM CST
Letter From Alleged 9/11 Planner Delivered to Obama
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed   (AP Photo, File)

One of the final letters Barack Obama will receive during his time as president comes from the man who allegedly planned the Sept. 11 attacks, the Miami Herald reports. According to CBS News, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was captured in 2003 in Pakistan, tortured by the CIA, then moved to Guantanamo Bay, where he's currently awaiting trial. In 2014, Mohammed wrote a letter to Obama, addressing "Muslim oppression at the hands of" the US and the West, plus events in Gaza, Iraq, and Palestine. But the prison at Guantanamo refused to deliver it.

The judge in Mohammed's case finally ordered the letter delivered earlier this month. He ruled Obama should have the letter before becoming a private citizen. While a White House source confirms the letter has been delivered, it's unclear whether or not Obama has read it. The Pentagon's chief war crimes prosecutor remained opposed to the release of the letter, which he calls propaganda. Mohammed has, in the past, been described as having a deep desire for attention. (More Khalid Sheikh Mohammed stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X