October 8, 2008 4:53:26 AM CDT
(Newser) – Arguments in the trial of Salim Hamdan gave a view of al-Qaeda's inner circle today, as prosecutors opened by painting Osama bin Laden's driver as a key member of the organization, the Miami Herald reports. The lead prosecutor depicted Hamdan as a constant presence in high-level al-Qaeda operations and argued that he knew the destination of the fourth plane hijacked on 9/11.
Hamdan’s lawyer said he accepted the job as Bin Laden’s chauffer out of simple financial necessity: “There is no evidence that he espoused, embraced, believed extremist Islamic beliefs. He needed a job.” After the opening statements, testimony began with the Army major who captured Hamdan at a checkpoint in Afghanistan taking the stand, Reuters reports.
Sources Miami Herald, Reuters
1 hour, 33 minutes ago In a huge blow to the Bush administration a federal judge has ordered the immediate release of 17 Chinese Muslims who have been imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay for seven years, reports the Washington Post. He said the men must be released to volunteer Uighur families by Friday for possible resettlement in the Washington area. The judge quoted the core principles of the Constitution in ordering the release of the prisoners, noting they were not enemy combatants. More »
Aug 7, 08 3:32 PM CDT Salim Hamdan, the driver for Osama bin Laden convicted of providing material support for terrorism, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison today, Reuters reports. The military jury's sentence takes into effect time served at Guantanamo Bay, making him eligible for release in about 5 months. The US, however, insists it can hold him indefinitely as an "enemy combatant." More »
Aug 7, 08 3:22 AM CDT Now that Salim Hamdan has been found guilty of driving Osama bin Laden around Afghanistan, sentencers must now decide if that makes him a warrior or a flunky, USA Today reports. Testimony from a psychiatrist describing Hamdan's path from impoverished Yemeni orphan to chauffeur for the world's most wanted man is expected to play a key role in the decision. More »
Aug 1, 08 2:32 PM CDT Ex-Bin Laden driver Salim Hamdan's defense rested today after insulting yet possibly exonerating testimony from 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the LA Times reports. In the final testimony of Hamdan’s Guantanamo war crimes tribunal, Mohammed asserted in a written statement that Hamdan “did not play any role” in the group’s terrorist activities. "He was not a soldier, he was a driver," Mohammed wrote. More »
Jul 26, 08 1:31 PM CDT Osama bin Laden’s driver warmed up to interrogators after he was given McDonald’s french fries, Reuters reports. He "even appreciated that McDonald's fries are not good cold," an FBI agent testified yesterday at Salim Hamdan’s war crimes trial. In another instance, he perked up when permitted to call his wife—after being held for 7 months. More »
al-Qaeda • Pentagon • Guantanamo Bay • September 11 • Guantanamo prisoners • 9/11 attacks • military tribunal • Salim Ahmed Hamdan • Guantanamo tribunals
