Bin Laden's Media Chief Gets Life Sentence

By Gabrielle Meury
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba- Ali Hamza al-Bahlul has been sentenced to life in prison for terrorism. Bahlul made propaganda videos for bin Laden before being captured in December 2001. He acknowledged joining the al-Qaeda terror network, telling the military jury that he proudly volunteered to be a Sept. 11 hijacker. He also told the jury that bin Laden would not allow him to be the 20th hijacker because his role was to head the terrorism network’s propaganda machine.

Bahlul’s attorney, Air Force Maj. David Frakt, said that he was not surprised by the life sentence considering the defendant’s comments before sentencing. “I think the 20th hijacker comment pretty much sealed the deal," he said. "But he might have gotten life anyway."

Bahlul previously called the military tribunal a “legal farce” and boycotted the proceeding by sitting silently at the defense table. Maj. Frakt did not speak in deference to his client’s wishes, even refusing to answer questions from the judge.

The jury of nine U.S. military officers deliberated for under an hour. He was convicted of 35 counts of conspiracy, solicitation to commit murder and providing material support for terrorism.

Bahlul is the second prisoner to go through a war-crimes trial under the military commissions system. Former bin Laden driver Salim Hamdan was convicted in August and sentenced to five and a half years in prison.  A third prisoner, David Hicks, reached a plea agreement that sent him to his native Australia to serve a nine-month prison sentence. The military has not yet decided where Bahlul will serve his sentence but for now he will be kept from the general population at Guantanamo.
U.S. officials have said they plan to prosecute about 80 of the 255 prisoners still held at Guantanamo, but critics of the tribunals say they doubt there will be any more trials. Both Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain and Democratic contender Sen. Barack Obama have said they want to close Guantanamo.

For more information, please see:
Associated Press- At Gitmo, life sentence for bin Laden propagandist- 4 November 2008

Guardian- Guantanamo jury jails Bin Laden media chief for life- 4 November 2008

AFP- Yemeni Bin Laden aide gets life at Guantanamo trial- 4 November 2008