Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Gitmo Detainee Acquitted Of 284 Terror Charges, Guilty Of One
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 18, 2010
Modified Nov 18, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 18, 2010
Modified Nov 18, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, who was detained in Guatanamo Bay for his alleged bombing of the U.S. embassies in Africa and then moved to NYC for a civilian trial, was found not guilty on 284 terror-related charges and guilty of just one. The New York Law Journal reports, "Clearing the Tanzanian native of four conspiracies and the murder of 224 people in the near-simultaneous bombings of the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania on Aug. 7, 1998, the jury in Judge Lewis A. Kaplan's courtroom shocked prosecutors and defense lawyers alike with its verdict."
The one count that jurors did find the 36-year-old guilty of was "conspiracy to destroy buildings and property of the United States by means of an explosive," and the jury said that they did find Ghailani's conduct "directly or proximately caused death to a person other than a co-conspirator." The government's case lost its legs when Judge Kaplan ruled against the use of major prosecution witness, who claimed he sold Ghailani the TNT. The government found out about the witness during the CIA's interrogation of Ghailani; Ghailani's lawyers claimed that he was tortured at the time.
Ghailani's lawyers also argued their client was duped into the terrorist conspiracy, and after the verdict, Peter Quijano said, "This verdict is a reaffirmation that this nation’s judicial system is the greatest ever devised. It is truly a system of laws and not men, where, in the shadow of the World Trade Center, this jury acquitted Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani of 284 out of 285 counts." His lawyers (one of whom is named Steve Zissou) are also planning to appeal the lone guilty verdict.
The Justice Department said, "We respect the jury's verdict and are pleased that Ahmed Ghailani now faces a minimum of 20 years in prison and a potential life sentence." Still, as the NY Times reports, "The case has been seen as a test of President Obama’s goal of trying detainees in federal court whenever feasible, and the result seems certain to fuel debate over whether civilian courts are appropriate for trying terrorists," and the Post calls this a "stunning setback" for the Obama Administration.
Tagged
9/11
acquittal
Ahmed Khalfan Ghailana
Guatanamo Bay
guilty
justice department
terror trial
US embassy bombings
verdict
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Man shot and killed on Midtown subway platform Saturday afternoon, NYPD says
Police said they're searching for a person of interest.
By
Ryan Kost
and
Elizabeth Kim
Published Oct 17, 2026 at 1:16 p.m. ET
Modified Oct 17, 2026 at 4:10 p.m. ET
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
Suspects were driving a Subaru Forester, police said.
By
Ryan Kost
News
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
Suspects were driving a Subaru Forester, police said.
By
Ryan Kost
Being reigning champions is weird for Knicks fans, but we could get used to this.
By
Catalina Gonella
Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.
By
Willow Higgins
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
By
Rosemary Misdary
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .