Bin Laden's Driver Walks Out Of His Terror Trial At Guantanamo

Osama bin Laden's driver walked out of his terror trial Wednesday rather than watch prosecutors show a video of his first U.S. interrogation, in Afghanistan in November 2001.

Three guards rushed to their feet and surrounded Salim Hamdan, 37, as he stood at the defense table within a minute of the start of the video.

The interrogation shows Hamdan, with a trim black beard, sitting cross-legged on the cement floor of a nondescript room -- a Special Forces soldier over Hamdan's right shoulder holding an assault rifle.

Hamdan's hands are bound in front of him. The room is slightly illuminated by natural light. Unidentified military personnel put a bag over his head as they remove him from his first interrogation session.

Hamdan's defense lawyer, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Brian Mizer, has said he believes that his client is the first Arab captured in the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan -- and the video is the first recorded interrogation.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[MagisterLudi]

Hague/Geneva convention

The laws, rights, and duties of war apply not only to armies, but also to militia and volunteer corps:

Prisoners of war may be interned in a town, fortress, camp, or other place,

"Prisoners of war shall be subject to the laws, regulations, and orders in force in the army of the State in whose power they are. Any act of insubordination justifies the adoption towards them of such measures of severity as may be considered necessary."

my comment: "ARMY of the State" NOT civilian justice system. Deal with it

"After the conclusion of peace, the repatriation of prisoners of war shall be carried out as quickly as possible."

My comment: POWs can be jailed until peace is declared. In A-stan the war is till on.

DEAL WITH IT.

[drumz]

It's not a war but an invasion.

[MagisterLudi]

This is your reply drumz: because it's an invasion the Hugue/ Geneva conventions do not apply?!

[MagisterLudi]

Hague/Geneva:

MILITARY AUTHORITY OVER THE TERRITORY OF THE HOSTILE STATE

Territory is considered occupied when it is actually placed under the authority of the hostile army.

The occupation extends only to the territory where such authority has been established and can be exercised.

If, in addition to the taxes, the occupant levies other money contributions in the occupied territory, this shall only be for the needs of the army or of the administration of the territory in question.

[Hass]

A case of guilt-by-association. Being a member of an organization is not a crime. Not even for the Nazis:

"No matter how bad his character by general reputation or association, the accused must be considered innocent unless his guilt is established by evidence that he himself committed, attempted, or intended the crime charged."

Read more:
http://www.iranaffairs.com/iran_affairs/2008/07/osamas-driver-war-criminal.html

[MagisterLudi]

So a foreigner Arab delivering ground-to-air missiles is not a crime in your eyes.... We get it, habibi.
1 May be they should copy Iranian... khem.... justice and just parade him around Washington with toilet seat around his neck.
2 1. Did you know that according to Geneva/Hague conventions POWs can be held indefinitely and require no trial ? No, IO didn't think so.

[Hass]

No, sorry, but in Afghanistan, someone delivering weapons to someone else in Afghanistan, is not a violation of US law, and certainly doesnt' constitute a "war crime".
And, if you remember, Bush declared that these people are NOT pows but "illegal combatants".
And actually I am pretty sure I know more about the law than you do. In fact I'm certain of it.

[WorkingClass]

Its a show trial. A kangaroo court. Vintage George Bush. Does it make you proud? Me neither.

[Joeblue]

Rove the TRAITOR thumbs his nose at our judical system I guess this guy figures he can too.

[Warmglobe]

Notice which side the liberals are on

[CocteausTwin]

Hmmm let me guess. Maybe jurisprudence? Due process maybe? Why do you hate the ideals of America? You are more than welcome to go to another country where no justice system exists.

[MagisterLudi]

According to Geneva/Hague Conventions POWS are PROHIBITED from being subjected to criminal trials.
Ever considered actually reading the conventions? Or the knee jerk is the M.O.

[GiggidyGeshmoygen]

HuffPost's Pick

according to RawStory:
http://rawstory.com//news/2008/Was_Flight_93_shot_down_on_0723.html

===========================================================

Gitmo Prosecutor: Flight 93 Was Shot Down on 9/11

Prosecutor Timothy Stone told the six-member jury of U.S. military officers who will decide Hamdan's guilt or innocence that Hamdan had inside knowledge of the 2001 attacks on the United States because he overheard a conversation between bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

"If they hadn't shot down the fourth plane it would've hit the dome," Stone, a Navy officer, said in his opening remarks.

The tribunal's chief prosecutor, Col. Lawrence Morris, later explained that Stone was quoting Hamdan in evidence that will be presented at trial. Morris declined to say if the "dome" was a reference to the U.S. Capitol.

"Virtually no one knew the intended target, but the accused knew," Stone said.

United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in a field in rural Pennsylvania. U.S. officials have never stated it was shot down although rumors saying that abound to this day.

=======================================================

excuse me, but am i the only one who thinks that a gitmo prosecutor ADMITTING that Flight 93 was SHOT DOWN is bigger news than the defendant's courtroom behaviour ????????????????

[vippy]

I heard it on the news on CNN. They only said it one time but I did hear it. I was surprised then
when they changed their story. However, evidence shows that there were no crash items on the
ground but various people found part of a plane in their backyard. People are not thinking rational
or they cannot face the truth.

[Vinca]

THERE ARE SOOO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT 9/11

[MagisterLudi]

"gitmo prosecutor ADMITTING that Flight 93 was SHOT DOWN"

Reality, try it sometime: The prosecutor is QUOTING Hamdan.

OK here's some 5th grade English lesson
Quote: A statement attributed to someone else;
quotation: a passage or expression that is quoted or cited

Yep another Internet rumor in its birth pangs.

[mamacat]

Was Hitler's chauffeur tortured?

[GiggidyGeshmoygen]

Answer: yes

(poor Adolph was prone to frequent, gaseous digestive and bowel malfunctions)

[Destin]

You gotta love how the govt thugs put on such a big production. ;) They spew propaganda at a trial and try to pass it off as evidence. Meanwhile, they haven't produced one shred of evidence seen so far. And the three guards rushing to their feet in fear of this guy merely standing up??? When I was in the military, you would be courts-martialed for displaying cowardice in the face of the enemy. And these 3 guys must be cowards if they are afraid of a guy completely shackled to the desk.

If anyone notices in the full article, it says he stood at the desk, and obviously was unable to go anywhere, had to ask to be allowed to leave. So the grandiose headlines of "walks out of terror trial" is pretty misleading.

Also, examine this war crime quote from the article....

"The interrogator, who sounds like an American speaking learned Arabic, is out of the picture. The face of the soldier guarding him is obscured by a black mask."

There's one sentence of the two, that reveals a Geneva Conventions violation, one punishable by DEATH. Can anyone spot it?? ;)

[akw]

These terrorists are not covered by the Geneva convention, and these are not court trials. They are military tribunals, and this poor guy was partly responsible for the deaths of 3,000 of your fellow Americans. No evidence? What makes you think the public is entitled to see the evidence against these thugs? Your anger is misplaced, and your accusations against our military in this procedure is despicable, especially considering your military background.

[Destin]

You are right, since I wasn't talking about the terrorists.

What I was talking about, was the US SOLDIER wearing a disguise that is not a part of his official military uniform and is meant to disguise who he is. Which IS a violation of the Geneva Conventions, punishable by death. Remember when the German unit did that during the Battle of the Bulge? They were found guilty and promptly executed.

[Destin]

As far as your BS about the evidence, or lack thereof, since Gitmo is US SOIL, all trials are considered public forums in a public venue. ;)

By the way, do you have evidence he himself was responsible for 3,000 deaths on 9/11? Why aren't you at the trial? And why aren't you calling for Bush to be placed on trial, since he said the people that carried out the attacks, were the hijackers aboard the planes?? Either you are lying, or Bush is lying.

And my military background is the very thing that makes me question these things. I know exactly what goes on "behind the scenes". I know full well, that military prosecutors and defense lawyers are "best friends". And that the #1 thing most commanders do when being assigned to a new base, is to get to know who the JAG's are, since they'll need them to railroad people as they see fit.

And I've personally seen more US MILITARY troops railroaded out of the military, than terrorists could ever hope to kill. And that's what is sickening about the whole system. There is no justice, fair play, or even a trial.

[lisakaz2]

What is this guy charged with exactly. They always refer to him as a driver for OBL. Is that the charge?

[MagisterLudi]

An Al Qaeda member, an Arab foreigner who is captured driving around in a war zone with a car crammed with ground-to-air missiles..... You figure it out, if you can.

[MagisterLudi]

... Hamdan is evasive, and says he is in Afghanistan for a charity called Wafa.
He agrees... there were surface-to-air missiles in his car.
But most likely it probably planted by the Illuminati.
He, Hamdan, actually came to A-stan to open a yoga spa.

[Hass]

No law against carrying weapons in your car. The question is, was he involved in 9/11 or not. Thus far, the only evidence is: NOT.

[CocteausTwin]

Maybe a bit dramatic walking out. But hey if I been put through that, I do not think I would ever want to see it. There are good reasons why we as a country did not torture.

[darthdarcy]

Why no information as to what he said in his first interrogation..?

Was it incriminating..?

[MagisterLudi]

Eh, this website does not do incriminating evidence of crimes by Jihadists, only Western soldiers.

[Hass]

You're seriously suggesting that Western soldiers should be held accountable to the standards of terrorists?

[Gma11]

We have become what attacked us.

[awcbuddy8]

Then how are you posting a negative remark about the sitting government?

[JohnFromCensornati]

So, exactly what country's sitting government is made up of Al Qaeda jihadis?

[Joeblue]

Not completely but we're getting there Buddy, count on it.

[raker]

"Terror Trial?" Oh brother. You sound just like NewsCenter 5. (FYI, that's not good.)

[Bernique]

These proceedings sound like a farce to me.

[bayside]

The whole world know bush by now, its a kangaroo court full of lies......

[MagisterLudi]

ah, and so is your comment. The whole life is a farce, didn't you guess....