Who is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed? 9/11 Attack Accused Militant Yet to Face Trial After 2 Decades
New York– The United States of America marks 21 years since the 9/11 Tragedy today. The fateful days of four coordinated suicide attacks took the lives of nearly 3000 people.
The relatives of the victims are still hoping to get some clarity and closure over two decades later. However, the planned trial against the five men accused of crimes related to 9/11 before a military tribunal keeps getting postponed.
The latest delay came just last month. The pre-trial hearing that was scheduled for early Fall was canceled. Experts say that this is one of the greatest failures of the war against terror.
Why Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s Trial Delayed?
The United States managed to capture Pakistani Islamist militant Khalid Sheikh Mohammed on March 1 of 2003. Mohammed is considered the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. US intelligence agents took 18 months to capture the number three leader of Al Qaeda. However, their attempt to legally bring him to justice has taken much longer.
Last month, the pretrial delay has finally added to the anguish of the relatives of victims of the terrorist attack. Many have expressed uncertainty over the trial. If convicted, Sheikh Mohammed would likely face the death penalty.
So what is causing these delays? Well, the answer partially lies in how the US treated Mohammad after he was captured. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his allies were initially held in a secret prison outside the US.
CIA officials subjected them to Enhanced interrogation techniques. This is because they wanted to gather more information about other significant Al Qaeda figures.
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As per reports from human rights groups, Khalid Mohammed was waterboarded 183 times. This is a process in which a person is made to feel like he is drowning. These allegations of torture have raised concerns over Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s trial in a civilian court.
Eventually, it was announced that Mohammad would face a military tribunal. However, this has not happened yet. The legal failures have certainly not dulled the memories of the victim’s families, nor have dampened their interest in witnessing justice.
Photo Source:- BBC & Screenshots from Youtube.com
