Guantánamo six will have fair trials, insists Chertoff

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

9.30am GMT

Guantánamo six will have fair trials, insists Chertoff

Matthew Weaver and Ed Pilkington
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday February 12 2008

US homeland security secretary Michael Chertoff has
insisted the six Guantánamo bay prisoners accused over
the September 11 attacks will be fairly tried, despite
the concerns about a "show trial".

Military prosecutors said yesterday they would seek the
death penalty against the six, including the alleged
mastermind of the plot, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the
alleged would-be 20th hijacker, Mohammed al-Qahtani,
as well as funders of the plot and men alleged to be
coordinators between the 19 hijackers and al-Qaida
operatives.

The defence department, which is leading the prosecution
through a much-criticised process of military commissions,
issued 169 charges against the men, including conspiracy,
murder in violation of the law of war, attacking
civilians, destruction of property and terrorism.

Mohammed, the highest profile of the six, has confessed
to being responsible "from A to Z" for 9/11, according
to the Pentagon.

Human rights campaigners expressed concern about the
interrogation techniques used to obtain such confessions.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/12/guantanamo.september111

[midnight]

1. I'm finding Chertoff's reassurances empty. After all, the

people of NOLA had their emergency plans taken out of the state, telecommunications lines cut, and levies explode as if they were blown up. Doesn't sound like a man who understands the meaning of fairness.

[shain from kane]

2. "Sure, Kid, you'll get a fair trial ... and then we'll hang you."

Paraphrasing from One-Eyed Jacks.