Is Pentagon pushing for 9/11 trial during presidential campaign?

Defense lawyers for the alleged 9/11 conspirators on Thursday accused the Pentagon prosecutor of rushing to begin the complex Sept. 11, 2001, mass murder trial in the height of the presidential campaign season.

The U.S. military attorneys for the four men on trial with alleged al Qaeda kingpin Khalid Sheik Mohammed included the claim in a 20-page brief asking the military judge to dismiss the charges.

The document includes an e-mail from a civilian member of the prosecution team proposing to set the trial date for Sept. 15, the Monday after the seventh anniversary of the suicide attacks.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/117/story/38920.html

http://www.miamiherald.com/guantanamo/story/551287.html

9/11 trial sought during presidential campaign
Posted on Thu, May. 29, 2008

By CAROL ROSENBERG
crosenberg@miamiherald.com

Defense lawyers for the alleged 9/11 conspirators on Thursday accused the Pentagon prosecutor of rushing to begin the complex Sept. 11, 2001, mass-murder trial in the height of the presidential campaign season.

The U.S. military attorneys included the claim in a 20-page brief asking the military judge to dismiss the capital charges against alleged al Qaeda kingpin Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four other Guantánamo detainees.

The document includes an e-mail from a civilian member of the prosecution team proposing to set the trial date for Sept. 15, the Monday after the seventh anniversary of the suicide attacks.

''Not coincidentally,'' the defense attorneys say, ``that would force the trial of this case in mid-September, some seven weeks before the general elections.''

The date, in fact, is 10 days after Sen. John McCain, an architect of Military Commissions law, is expected to be officially nominated as the Republican presidential candidate at the GOP national convention in St. Paul, Minn.

''Three months and 18 days is not enough time to prepare a defense in this death penalty case even if the government had provided the defense with the attorneys, resources, and facilities necessary to do so,'' said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Brian Mizer, attorney for Ammar al Baluchi, who is also known as Ali Abdul Aziz Ali.

A Pentagon spokesman denied the trial schedule was linked to the national political campaign season. ''We're moving forward with the trials,'' said Navy Cmdr. Jeffrey Gordon. ``And we're going to continue with the process.''

I had too many tabs up and copied the wrong link. :blush: Thanks for letting me know.

that the judge keeps sending them back for corrections--& time is running out.

You can bank on it. This is a propaganda operation and it will go ahead in September.

and a host of other neocon enablers. They're the ones responsible for 9-11.

:kick: