Verdict Reached but Not Announced at Guantanamo

By Gabrielle Meury
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba- U.S. military jurors reached a verdict on Friday in the trial of Osama bin Laden’s accused media chief, who is accused of inciting others to attack civilians through the release of a recruiting video.  Prosecutor Army Maj. Dan Cowhig  stated that, “The exploitation of modern media and the exploitation of modern technology has made terrorism more effective but it has not made it new. This is not a new kind of war. This is barbarity.” The verdict will not be announced until Yemeni defendant Ali Hamza al Bahlul, who could face life in prison, is brought back into the courtroom on Monday. 

The jury of nine U.S. military officers deliberated about four hours before reaching their verdict on charges that Bahlul conspired with al Qaeda to attack civilians, solicited murder and gave material support for terrorism. Bahlul and his U.S. military lawyer sat in silent protest throughout the trial.

The interrogators testified that Bahlul scripted the videotaped wills of two September 11 hijackers who were his roommates in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 1999. The interrogators stated that Bahlul boasted that bin Laden assigned him to make a recruiting video and was so pleased with it that bin Laden promoted him to media secretary. One of the prosecution’s witnesses said that Bahlul’s fingerprints were all over a stash of books that U.S. soldiers found in Afghanistan, including a journal filled with bin Laden’s dictation and a notebook full of production notes for the video titled “The Destruction of the American Destroyer USS Cole.” Terrorism consultant Evan Kohlmann testified, “If it is not the most popular al Qaeda video of all time it is among the top five.”The defense lawyer, Air Force Maj. David Frakt, stated “If al Bahlul is a war criminal, then so are the prosecutors because apparently all it takes to commit a war crime is to show somebody that video.”

Bahlul is one of 255 suspected al Qaeda and Taliban captives held at Guantanamo.  The majority of these men are being held without charges. Retired Air Force Col. Morris Davis said that these cases will likely never be brought forward as war-crimes trials at Guantanamo Bay. The Pentagon has declined to comment on the future of the trials.  Barack Obama and John McCain have both pledged, if elected, to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay.

For more information, please see:

Associated Press- With US election, sun setting on Guantanamo trials- 1 November 2008

Reuters- Verdict reached but not read at Guantanamo- 31 October 2008

Detroit Free Press- Verdict to be read Monday in trial of Bin Laden’s videomaker- 1 November 2008