US May Execute 9/11 Detainees Without Trials

By Neal Colgrass, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 5, 2009 8:10 PM CDT

(Newser) – The Obama administration may let accused 9/11 terrorists at Guantanamo Bay plead guilty and be executed without facing trial, the New York Times reports. A proposed change in military law, which governs Guantanamo tribunals, would give the alleged attackers what they seek—martyrdom—and avoid trials that could reveal harsh US interrogation techniques. It would also avoid charging the accused in federal court.

The five 9/11 detainees said last December that they wanted to plead guilty, but defense lawyers argued that military law should be followed, forbidding guilty pleas in capital cases. A military judge is still mulling it over. But critics of the proposed legislation, which is circulating privately among officials, are already speaking out: “They’re encouraging martyrdom," said a lawyer for a 9/11 detainee.

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (1)]

The five Sept. 11, 2001 attack co-defendants sit during a hearing at the U.S. Military Commissions court for war crimes, at the U.S. Naval Base, in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Monday, Jan. 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Janet Hamlin, Pool, File)

Khalid Sheik Mohammad, top, and Walid bin Attash attend a hearing at the U.S. Military Commissions court for war crimes at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Janet Hamlin, Pool)

A shackled detainee clutching paperwork of some kind is escorted by two gloved U.S. Military personnel on Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base in Cuba. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley,File)

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This unfortunately strikes me as an effort to get rid of the problem in the easiest way possible, which is to have those people plead guilty and presumably be executed. But I think it’s going to lack international credibility. - David Glazier, associate law professor

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 22 comments

Jungun

Jun 8, 2009 7:48 AM CDT

"Liberal facists" LOL! Please don't kill me dead Corona... ROFL

justme

Jun 7, 2009 11:55 AM CDT

A guilty plea removes the need for a trial. A trial is only for people who claim to be not guilty. Happens all the time in US courts, usually in return for some predetermined sentence. By the way, why does everyone assume that every detainee was "tortured"? No proof of that has ever surfaced. Even Obama's grandstand release of documents only shows three waterboarded prisoners.

SBS

Jun 7, 2009 6:27 AM CDT

justme. I hope that you are right and that only three suspects were waterboarded. I'm afraid that as more of this story becomes know there may well be more to it.

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Politics • Crime & Courts

Barack Obama • 9/11 attacks • Guantanamo tribunals • Gitmo

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