Mastermind of the 9/11 attacks smiles in court

Three days before the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the trial of five men charged with plotting the terrorist attacks resumed on Tuesday at the Camp Justice court in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Among them, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the principle architect of the 9/11 attacks that killed 2,976 civilians, seemed relaxed, smiling and waving his hand to the audience.

According to the Fox News, Mohammed and four other members of al-Qaeda attended the trial on Tuesday. They have been charged with crimes including 2,976 counts of murder, terrorism, and hijacking.

When captured in Pakistan in 2003, Mohammed looked heavy, wearing a loose-fitting t-shirt. But he appeared neatly in court on Tuesday. He dyed his grey beard orange and was wearing a white hat. His lawyer said Mohammed smiled because he was glad to see people after being detained for a long time. The suspects gave short yes or no answers to the judge’s questions. The five suspects are expected to face death penalty if convicted.

The trial reopened after an 18-month hiatus from the COVID-19 pandemic. The families of the victims of the 9/11 watched the pretrial hearing from the audience seat.


Eun-Taek Lee nabi@donga.com