Chastened Guantanamo prisoners back before military tribunal

Five Guantanamo prisoners charged in the Sept 11 attacks were back before a military tribunal yesterday, apparently foregoing the protest that turned their last appearance into an unruly 13-hour spectacle.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who has portrayed himself as the mastermind behind the worst terrorist attack on US soil, and his four co-defendants sat quietly at the defence tables under the watchful eyes of military guards.

Defendant Mustafa Ahmad al-Hawsawi calmly responded to the judge’s questions about his request for additional legal counsel.

It was a stark contrast to their arraignment in May on charges that include terrorism and murder. At that earlier session, one prisoner was briefly restrained, the men refused to listen to the court translation system headphones, they ignored the judge and two stood up to pray at one point.

The judge, Army Col James Pohl, started the pre-trial hearing that is expected to last a week to consider about two dozen preliminary legal issues required to move the case towards an eventual trial, likely at least a year away.

The main items on the week’s agenda are broad security rules for the war crimes tribunal of five Guantanamo prisoners charged in the Sep 11 attacks, including measures to prevent the accused from publicly revealing what happened to them in the CIA’s secret network of overseas prisons.

Prosecutors have asked the judge to approve what is known as a protective order that is intended to prevent the release of classified information during the eventual trial of the five.