Exemplary sentence demanded for al-Qaida suspects

A Spanish prosecutor criticised the US war on terror today as he requested an “exemplary sentence” against an alleged al-Qaida cell, three members of which are accused of helping plot the September 11 attacks in the US.

“We don’t need wars. We don’t need detention camps, but rather this kind of trial that strengthens the rule of law,” prosecutor Pedro Rubira said in closing arguments at the trial of 24 alleged al-Qaida members. He was apparently referring to the US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and the Guantanamo Bay detention camp for terror suspects.