Word: trialing
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...Preparations for the trial have already featured accusations of political manipulation, notably set forth by Air Force Col. Morris Davis, Guantanamo's former chief prosecutor. He has said under oath that the top legal advisor to Guantanamo's military commissions, Air Force Brig. Gen. Thomas Hartmann, interfered in his planning of trials at the base by demanding that he drum up "sexy," high-profile cases "with blood on them" to attract public support for convictions. That charge led a military judge several weeks ago to exclude Hartmann from further involvement in a prominent case. Davis has also accused the Pentagon...
...accused, meanwhile, may have a political agenda of their own in the proceedings: Mohammed and some of the other defendants have said explicitly that they do not recognize the authority of the court, branding it a political trial. At the apparent direction of Mohammed, confessed mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, the accused have also told the court they will represent themselves, albeit with some assistance from professional military and civilian lawyers. Mohammed, who repeatedly appeared to give courtroom instructions to his co-accused on Thursday, explained that he rejects the authority of the U.S. legal system and instead follows...
...both presidential candidates, John McCain and Barack Obama, have said they would like to close down Guantanamo. Given that possibility, and an expected Supreme Court ruling later this month on the rights of prisoners at Guantanamo, it is almost certainly in the legal interests of the accused to see trial proceedings delayed - at least until a new Administration in Washington potentially takes a different legal approach to dealing with terror suspects. The possibility of bringing the five accused to the U.S. and charging them in Federal court would grant them more legal rights than they enjoy under the Guantanamo system...
...Thursday's opening round suggested, however, that the case will pivot on two factors: the rulings and conduct of Judge Ralph Kohlman, the Marine colonel presiding over the trial; and the wily intentions of Mohammed, who seems to be guiding his fellow defendants and setting defense strategy...
...appearances, an option Judge Kohlman has said they are free to exercise. Since all five have opted to legally represent themselves, if they also decided not to show up, that could speed the proceedings along by cutting down on legal maneuvers or the number of objections. A smoother, faster trial might well please the Bush Administration and perhaps even the al-Qaeda prisoners themselves, who are seeking to delegitimize the U.S. legal process and, if Mohammed is to be taken at his word, to pursue "martyrdom." Should the two sides concur on speeding the legal process for their own political...