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Lawyer: 9/11 Terror Suspects To Plead Not Guilty
By
Ben Muessig
Published Nov 24, 2009
Modified Nov 24, 2009
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By
Ben Muessig
Published Nov 24, 2009
Modified Nov 24, 2009
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Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the four other suspected terrorists who will be tried in Manhattan for their involvement in planning the 9/11 attacks will plead not guilty, according to an attorney. Scott Fenstermaker, the lawyer representing suspect Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, said the men would not deny their role in the attacks, but "would explain what happened and why they did it" and share "their assessment of American foreign policy," according to the Post. Unsurprisingly, "their assessment is negative," according to Fenstermaker.
While critics fear that the suspects will use the high-profile trial as a soapbox to publicize anti-American views, a spokesman for the Department of Justice told the Daily News: "We have full confidence in the ability of the courts and in particular the federal judge who may preside over the trial to ensure that the proceeding is conducted appropriately and with minimal disruption, as federal courts have done in the past."
Meanwhile, the Times looks into the legal proceedings against Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani — a suspected Al Qaeda operative implicated in the attacks against America embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Legal experts told the paper it's “a perfect transition case” before the terror trials because it could outline strategies that could be used by the defense. For example, Ghailani's lawyers just filed a motion to throw out the case because they claim their client wasn't given a speedy trial as is constitutionally-mandated. The article also outlines some of the measures taken to protect classified information, including rules that require defense attorneys to visit a “secure area" to access classified documents, and a policy that only allows information on the case to go public after it has been reviewed by the government.
Tagged
9/11
Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani
Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali
khalid sheikh mohammed
Scott Fenstermaker
terror trial
Ben Muessig
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