The Pentagon and FBI have <a href="https://isp.netscape.com/politics/story/0001/20230816/76fab68b1faa1a7e1634b10951258710" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alerted</a> several of the grieving families who lost relatives in the deadly 9/11 attack in which nearly 3,000 Americans were murdered that the suspected architect of the attacks and his fellow defendants may have their death sentences overturned through plea deals.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed — who suggested the 9/11 attacks to al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and then planned the attacks — and four other terrorists have been incarcerated at the Guantanamo Bay detention center for years, while repeated delays and legal disputes have postponed the death penalty being applied. No trial date has been set.
“The Office of the Chief Prosecutor has been negotiating and is considering entering into pre-trial agreements,” the August 1 letter sent to the families stated. It stated that although no plea deal has “been finalized, and may never be finalized, it is possible that a PTA in this case would remove the possibility of the death penalty.&#8221;
The families were given until Monday, August 21, to respond to the FBI&#8217;s victim services division with any comments or questions about the matter.
Some relatives of the nearly 3,000 people killed outright in the terror attacks expressed outrage over the prospect of ending the case short of a verdict. The military prosecutors pledged to take their views into consideration and present them to the military authorities who would make the final decision on accepting any plea agreement.
Jim Riches, a retired deputy fire chief whose son Jimmy was a firefighter who died as a result of the 9/11 attacks, emitted a bitter laugh when he received the letter. “How can you have any faith in it?” he said, adding, “Those guys are still alive. Our children are dead.”
Former President George W. Bush established the prison and court system at Guantanamo Bay in 2002 following the 9/11/2001 attacks. Former President Barack Obama promised to close the center; during his administration, the number of prisoners was reduced from roughly 250 to 41. Republicans in Congress blocked Obama’s move to close the detention center.
In early 2021, President Biden declared he would close the facility.
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In the 9/11 attacks, 2,606 people were reported murdered in the World Trade Center and on the ground. At least 125 people working at the Pentagon were killed; 265 people were killed aboard the four planes used in the attacks, including eight children.
Medical authorities <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/1-140-wtc-9-11-responders-cancer-article-1.1449499" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concluded</a> by August 2013, that 1,140 people who worked, lived, or studied in Lower Manhattan had been diagnosed with cancer as a result of &#8220;exposure to toxins at Ground Zero” and the number would grow.

September 11

Pentagon, FBI Alert Grieving 9/11 Families: Architect Of Attack, 4 Others May Have Death Penalties Overturned

9/11

Guantanamo Bay

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

Pentagon

Florida Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ron-desantis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ron DeSantis</a> slammed a reporter during a press conference in Israel on Thursday when asked about a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay who claimed that DeSantis witnessed him being force-fed.
DeSantis forcefully rejected the claims made by former detainee Mansoor Adayfi, who claims that he saw a picture of DeSantis on Twitter and remembered his face from nearly two decades ago.
&#8220;No. No. Not at all,&#8221; DeSantis said when asked if he witnessed any instances where Al Qaeda terrorists were allegedly force fed. &#8220;That&#8217;s BS. Totally BS.&#8221;
When the reporter mentioned that the former detainee claimed that DeSantis was present at force-feedings, DeSantis quickly fired back at the reporter.
&#8220;Who said that? How would they know me?&#8221; DeSantis responded. &#8220;Okay, think about that. Do you honestly believe that&#8217;s credible? So this is 2006, I&#8217;m a junior officer, do you honestly think that they would have remembered me from that? Of course not.&#8221;
&#8220;They&#8217;re just trying to get into the news because they know people like you will consume it because it fits your pre-ordained narrative that you&#8217;re trying to spin,&#8221; DeSantis continued. &#8220;Focus on the facts and stop worrying about narrative.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🔥 “That’s BS”: Ron DeSantis demolishes legacy media for using Guantanamo Bay TERRORISTS as sources to fit their &quot;pre-ordained narrative&quot; <a href="https://t.co/uuZkH2TU57">pic.twitter.com/uuZkH2TU57</a>
&mdash; DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeSantisWarRoom/status/1651607965378441218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
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DeSantis previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-responds-to-salacious-reports-about-pudding-and-force-feeding-detainees-at-gitmo-bring-it-on" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> to the allegation earlier this year during an interview with British media personality Piers Morgan, saying that it was false.
“One of the things they said was that you authorized the use of force-feeding [for detainees who were on hunger strike],” Morgan said.
“That’s not true,” DeSantis immediately fired back. “So I was a junior officer, I didn’t have authority to authorize anything. There may have been a commander that would have done feeding if someone was going to die. But that was not something that I would have even had authority to do.”
When asked again if the report was wrong, DeSantis responded: “Yeah, absolutely.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WATCH: DeSantis denies allegations of authorizing force-feeding at Guantanamo Bay
&quot;That&#39;s not true. Yeah, that&#39;s not true [&#8230;] I was a junior officer. I didn&#39;t have the authority to authorize anything. <a href="https://t.co/aKOC8SyjFM">pic.twitter.com/aKOC8SyjFM</a>
&mdash; Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FLVoiceNews/status/1638999899969826816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Key Speakers at the Jerusalem Post Conference

DeSantis Nukes Reporter Over ‘Totally BS’ Claim: ‘Focus On The Facts And Stop Worrying About Narrative’

2024 Election

Elections

Politics

Ron DeSantis

Florida Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ron-desantis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ron DeSantis</a> responded in an interview that aired Thursday evening to two recent salacious media stories that claimed he ate pudding with his bare hands and that he authorized force feeding of detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
The Daily Beast <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/ron-desantis-book-tour-looks-like-amateur-hour?ref=scroll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> last week that an anonymous source claimed that DeSantis once &#8220;enjoyed a chocolate pudding dessert&#8221; on a private jet &#8220;by eating it with three of his fingers.&#8221;
DeSantis made the remarks during an interview on Fox Nation with Piers Morgan, who mocked the report as being ridiculous.
&#8220;It was a very serious allegation,&#8221; Morgan said sarcastically. “In fact, I congratulated the journalist who broke it on the new &#8216;Watergate.’ But I have to put it to you, Governor. Have you ever eaten a chocolate pudding with three fingers?&#8221;
After laughing at the story, DeSantis responded, &#8220;I don&#8217;t remember ever doing that. I&#8217;m telling you. Maybe when I was a kid.&#8221;
&#8220;You know, there&#8217;s a lot of people when they go at you, sometimes they have like really good ammunition, like you&#8217;re a crook, you did this, you did that,&#8221; DeSantis continued. &#8220;For me, they&#8217;re talking about pudding like, is that really the best you got? Okay, bring it on.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WATCH: DeSantis asked about &quot;scandal&quot; of purportedly eating pudding with three fingers
&quot;Maybe when I was a kid [&#8230;] Sometimes they have really good ammunitation [&#8230;] For me, they&#39;re talking about pudding? Like, is that really the best you got? Ok, bring it on!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/2wU5h9APrk">pic.twitter.com/2wU5h9APrk</a>
&mdash; Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FLVoiceNews/status/1639012213032894466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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DeSantis responded to a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/03/19/ron-desantis-guantanamo-bay-force-feeding/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from The Washington Post that suggested he had some kind of a role in force feeding detainees at Guantanamo Bay by saying that the report was false.
&#8220;One of the things they said was that you authorized the use of force feeding [for detainees who were on hunger strike],&#8221; Morgan responded.
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&#8220;That&#8217;s not true,&#8221; DeSantis immediately fired back. &#8220;So I was a junior officer, I didn&#8217;t have authority to authorize anything. There may have been a commander that would have done feeding if someone was going to die. But that was not something that I would have even had authority to do.&#8221;
When asked again if the report was wrong, DeSantis responded: &#8220;Yeah, absolutely.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WATCH: DeSantis denies allegations of authorizing force-feeding at Guantanamo Bay
&quot;That&#39;s not true. Yeah, that&#39;s not true [&#8230;] I was a junior officer. I didn&#39;t have the authority to authorize anything. <a href="https://t.co/aKOC8SyjFM">pic.twitter.com/aKOC8SyjFM</a>
&mdash; Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FLVoiceNews/status/1638999899969826816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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US-ISRAEL-POLITICS-REPUBLICANS

DeSantis Responds To Salacious Reports About Pudding And Force Feeding Detainees At GITMO: ‘Bring It On’

DeSantis Responds To Salacious Reports About Pudding And Force Feeding Detainees At GITMO: 'Bring It On'

Piers Morgan

The Biden administration on Thursday <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/biden-guantanamo-detainee-majid-khan-transferred-belize-rcna68166" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resettled a terrorist</a> from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, who served as a direct subordinate to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the Al Qaeda terrorist who was the principal architect of the  September 11, 2001, attacks.
Majid Khan was sent to Belize; he is the first detainee resettled by the Biden administration. He joined Al Qaeda after the 9/11 attacks and was later arrested in Karachi in March 2003. After he was captured, he <a href="https://www.aei.org/foreign-and-defense-policy/terrorism/majid-khan-the-terrorist-who-gave-the-cia-information-that-broke-up-the-west-coast-plot-is-charged-at-guantanamo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed information</a> about an Al Qaeda plot to hijack an airplane and fly it into the Library Tower in Los Angeles, the tallest building on the West Coast at the time. In 2012, Khan was charged with conspiracy, murder, and attempted murder in violation of the law of war, providing material support for terrorism, and spying. He pled guilty in February 2012 to conspiracy, murder in violation of the law of war, attempted murder in violation of the law of war, providing material support for terrorism, and spying and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
In June 2022, Khan’s lawyers filed a petition to force the Biden administration to release him as his sentence had ended in March 2022, claiming any place but his native Pakistan would be acceptable, <a href="https://int.nyt.com/data/documenttools/Majid-Khan-post-sentence-habeas/60d6b3ad864a0f48/full.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writing</a> that because he had cooperated with the American government the “risk of harm is so great that Petitioner can never return to Pakistan where he would face persecution.”
“Petitioner has repeatedly, publicly expressed regret for his actions, apologized to the victims of his offenses and their families, and explained his decision to cooperate with U.S. authorities against Al Qaeda for more than a decade as an effort to atone for his offenses,” the petition stated.
“In October 2021, after a sentencing hearing at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a panel of military officers sitting as a military commission sentenced Mr. Khan to 26 years of confinement,” the U.S. Defense Department <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2964357/convening-authority-takes-action-on-sentence-in-us-v-majid-khan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>. “The panel also recommended Mr. Khan receive clemency.”
A senior State Department official commented on the willingness of Belize to accept Khan, saying, “This is a political ask. Belize was a great choice because, ultimately, we have a lot of things to do with them. &#8230; They asked all the right questions when this process started,” and did a “terrific job of trying to evaluate” whether they were making the correct decision.
“We are very satisfied the things we asked of them they can do and will do,” the official concluded.

Guantanamo Bay Airplane

Biden Administration Resettles Al Qaeda Terrorist Who Was Direct Subordinate To 9/11 Mastermind

Al Qaeda

Biden Administration

U.S.

Fox News anchor <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/grab-the-privilege-and-ride-it-home-cowboy-harris-faulkner-blows-up-after-2nd-gentleman-blocks-handicapped-parking/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Harris Faulkner</a> unloaded on President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration in the wake of a Sunday report saying that military prosecutors could be considering plea deals for the terrorists who planned the 9/11 attack on United States soil.
Faulkner joined her cohosts on Monday&#8217;s broadcast of the network&#8217;s midday panel show, &#8220;Outnumbered&#8221; — and they discussed reports that 9/11 architect <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/appalling-james-woods-unloads-over-report-that-prosecutors-could-let-9-11-planner-could-cop-a-plea/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Khalid Sheikh Mohammed</a> and several of his co-conspirators might have reached an agreement that would allow them to avoid the death penalty.
WATCH:
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&quot;If we don’t know what justice looks like when Americans are killed … are we then a sovereign nation? Do we really, REALLY love the citizens of this great nation? We have a president who hates at least half of them. How do we know? Because he keeps telling us.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/HARRISFAULKNER?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HARRISFAULKNER</a> <a href="https://t.co/BswPrchqZ2">pic.twitter.com/BswPrchqZ2</a>
&mdash; Virginia Kruta (@VAKruta) <a href="https://twitter.com/VAKruta/status/1569422878545793024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Guest cohost Todd Piro noted that the move could be part of a broader effort to rid the United States of the death penalty altogether.
&#8220;This could be the push to eliminate the death penalty. Hear me out on this, if a defense attorney looks and says, &#8216;Hey, you didn’t give the death penalty to the guy who killed 3,000 Americans, why are you going to give it to my client?'&#8221; he said.
Faulkner weighed in next, arguing that allowing terrorists to make deals sent a horrible message to the family members of those they had killed.
&#8220;I know I can’t speak for every military family out there, but I will speak for mine,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I’m truly sorry to all of them that we as a sovereign nation can’t continue to act like one. That’s the second time this hour that I have said that.&#8221;
&#8220;It’s about the border, it’s about this issue. If we don’t know what justice looks like when Americans are killed, are we then — he put it so beautifully — then are we really a sovereign nation?&#8221; she continued. &#8220;Do we really love the citizens of this great nation? We have a president who hates at least half of them. How do we know? Because he keeps telling us.&#8221;
&#8220;So what about those military families? Whose children went to war because of what happened, who willingly went and gave their lives &#8211; blood and treasure from America &#8211; after we were hit?&#8221; Faulkner went on to ask. &#8220;They will never be the same. Those families who lost their children, and those men and women who are forever damaged from serving that war. What do we say to them when we say we will make a deal for these guys who took more than 3,000 lives of Americans in this country? On American soil? What do we say to those military families? &#8216;We gave up?&#8217; &#8216;We got tired?&#8217; &#8216;We like liberalism in our justice system better than we love you?&#8217; I’m dying to know.&#8221;

U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy Visits “The Faulkner Focus”

Harris Faulkner Torches Biden Over Plea Deal For 9/11 Planner: ‘A President Who Hates At Least Half’ Of Americans’

Harris Faulkner Torches Biden Over Plea Deal For 9/11 Planner

Fox News

Harris Faulkner

Terrorists

Actor <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/of-course-youre-scared-james-woods-mocks-new-york-times-for-calling-new-gop-rep-flores-far-right-latina/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Woods</a> took to Twitter on Sunday to air his grievances about a report that 9/11 planner <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/him-too-911-mastermind-khalid-sheikh-mohammed-says-emily-zanotti/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Khalid Sheikh Mohammed</a> — along with four of his co-conspirators — could be on the verge of a plea deal with U.S. military prosecutors.
Woods took issue with the idea that the terrorists behind such devastating homeland attacks could possibly work out any deals at all — but he also noted the added insult of the information being reported on the twenty-first anniversary of the attacks.
&#8220;To see this headline on September 11 is appalling,&#8221; Woods said in a tweet that has since been deleted. &#8220;Why is justice such an elusive concept in America today? Will the heinous among us never be held accountable? This is an outrage, and to read about it on this sacred day is an insult to the fallen.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_435934" style="width: 895px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-435934" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-435934 size-large" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Screen-Shot-2022-09-11-at-9.45.56-PM-885x576.jpg" alt="" width="885" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/Screen-Shot-2022-09-11-at-9.45.56-PM-885x576.jpg 885w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/Screen-Shot-2022-09-11-at-9.45.56-PM-300x195.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/Screen-Shot-2022-09-11-at-9.45.56-PM-768x500.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/Screen-Shot-2022-09-11-at-9.45.56-PM.jpg 1339w" sizes="(max-width: 885px) 100vw, 885px" />Screenshot/Twitter</div>
According to the <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-prosecutors-may-negotiate-plea-deal-architect-khalid-sheikh-mohammed-conspirators-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>, the five defendants — Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Ramzi Binalshibh, Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi, Walid bin Attash, and Ammar al-Baluchi — have been negotiating a deal to get the death penalty off the table. They have reportedly agreed to enter guilty pleas in exchange for that concession as well as for treatment for the abuse they claim to have endured at the hands of American CIA officers.
All five of the defendants in question were held and interrogated by the CIA prior to their arrival at the prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba — and critics, as well as the defendants and their attorneys, have asserted that their treatment at the hands of the CIA amounted to &#8220;illegal torture.&#8221;
In conjunction with their alleged efforts to plan and coordinate the devastating attacks that were executed on September 11, 2001, the five men were charged with crimes including terrorism, hijacking and 2,976 counts of murder.
Woods was hardly the only person to take issue with the report and its timing.
&#8220;This had better be an erroneous report. The only deal these scum* should get is a promise of a quick death, instead of slow and painful,&#8221; @irishspy <a href="https://twitter.com/irishspy/status/1569088361360674816" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>. &#8220;*(And I apologize to scum everywhere for the comparison.)&#8221;
&#8220;The Biden Admin doesn’t always negotiate with terrorists who murdered thousands of innocents, but when they do — they do it on the Anniversary of #September11,&#8221; A.C. Spollen <a href="https://twitter.com/ACSpollen/status/1569060806662168576" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>.
&#8220;This had better be &#8216;we’ll give you lethal injection instead of dropping a building on you,'&#8221; Mark Passwaters <a href="https://twitter.com/mbpRivals/status/1569021954195087365" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested</a>.

U.S. Officials Believe Mohammed

‘Appalling’: James Woods Unloads Over Report That Prosecutors Could Let 9/11 Planner Cop A Plea

James Woods Unloads Over Report That Prosecutors Could Let 9/11 Planner Cop A Plea

James Woods

Radical Islamic Terror

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) unloaded on Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) during Tuesday&#8217;s hearing for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, and once he had said his piece, he walked out of the room.
Graham who had just finished with <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/could-you-fairly-judge-a-catholic-lindsey-graham-reminds-biden-nominee-of-anti-catholic-treatment-in-amy-coney-barrett-confirmation-hearings/">his questions</a> for Judge Jackson, jumped back into the conversation when Durbin, the Senate Judiciary Committee chair, began to address some of the things he had asked about.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Graham Questions Judge Jackson" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IaM6VQmKH2Y?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The conversation began with Jackson&#8217;s comments about her own history as a public defender — which had occasionally involved defending detainees at Guantanamo Bay — and she argued that she had simply been &#8220;standing up for the constitutional value of representation.&#8221;
Durbin jumped in after Graham concluded his questions, noting that there were 39 detainees who remained at Guantanamo Bay and that keeping just one of them there was costing the United States some $12-13 million annually — some $540 million in total each year.
He went on to suggest that housing the detainees in a federal super-max facility in Colorado would be more cost-effective — and that since 2009, the recidivism rate of those who were eventually set free was 5% — but Graham interrupted.
&#8220;Mr. Chairman, according to the Director of National Intelligence it’s 31%. Somebody is wrong here,&#8221; Graham shot back. &#8220;If you want to talk about what I’ve said I’ll respond to what you said. If we close Gitmo and move them to Colorado do you support indefinite detention?&#8221;
&#8220;I’m giving the facts,&#8221; Durbin said.
&#8220;The answer is no,&#8221; Graham insisted.
&#8220;I just want to make sure it’s clear that 31% you referred to goes back to the year 2009,&#8221; Durbin pressed.
&#8220;What does it matter what it goes back to? We had them, and they got loose and they started killing people,&#8221; Graham objected. &#8220;If you are one of the people killed in 2005, does it matter to you when we released them?&#8221;
&#8220;I suggest the president of your own party released them, and —&#8221; Durbin claimed, in spite of the fact that <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/09/07/four-taliban-members-swapped-for-bowe-bergdahl-now-in-afghan-government/">four of the five</a> Taliban fighters that Democratic President Barack Obama released — in <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/four-taliban-members-released-from-gitmo-in-trade-for-bowe-bergdahl-now-part-of-hardline-afghan-government/">exchange</a> for U.S. Army deserter Bowe Bergdahl — are now serving in the Taliban-controlled Afghan government.
&#8220;I’m suggesting the system has failed miserably and advocates to change the system like she was advocating would destroy our ability to protect this country. We’re at war, we&#8217;re not fighting a crime. This is not some passage of time event,&#8221; Graham continued. &#8220;As long as they are dangerous, I hope they all die in jail if they&#8217;re going to go back to kill Americans. It won’t bother me one bit if 39 of them die in prison, that&#8217;s a better outcome than letting them go. And if it costs $500 million to keep them in jail, keep them in jail, because they&#8217;re going to go back to the fight. Look at the frickin&#8217; Afghan government, it&#8217;s made up of former detainees at Gitmo. This whole thing by the left about this war ain’t working.&#8221;
Graham stood up then, walking out of the hearing as Durbin continued to cite others who had defended the idea of allowing legal representation for Guantanamo detainees.

Senate Holds Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings For Ketanji Brown Jackson

‘I Hope They All Die In Jail!’: Lindsey Graham Blows Up At Dick Durbin, Storms Out Of Hearing

Dick Durbin

Ketanji Brown Jackson

Lindsey Graham

A Guantanamo Bay detainee dubbed the &#8220;20th hijacker of 9/11&#8221; has been repatriated by the Biden administration to Saudi Arabia, where the al-Quaeda-trained would-be terrorist will receive treatment at a psychiatric facility.
Mohammad Mani Ahmad al-Qahtani, 46, will be sent from Guantanamo Bay to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the U.S. Department of Defense announced Monday.
&#8220;On June 9, 2021, the Periodic Review Board process determined that law of war detention of Mohammad Mani Ahmad al-Qahtani was no longer necessary to protect against a continuing significant threat to the national security of the United States,&#8221; the department said in a press release. &#8220;Therefore, the PRB recommended that al-Qahtani be repatriated to his native country of Saudi Arabia, subject to security and humane treatment assurances.&#8221;
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd James Austin notified Congress of his intent to repatriate al-Qahtani to Saudi Arabia in February, the statement said.
&#8220;The United States appreciates the willingness of Saudi Arabia and other partners to support ongoing U.S. efforts toward a deliberate and thorough process focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing of the Guantanamo Bay facility,&#8221; the DOD continued.
Al-Qahtani was a &#8220;would-be 20th hijacker in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks,&#8221; <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/guantanamo-detainee-called-20th-hijacker-of-9-11-repatriated-to-saudi-arabia/ar-AAUKQao?li=BBnb7Kz">according</a> to Reuters. He was trained by al-Quaeda and &#8220;sought unsuccessfully to enter the United States on Aug. 4, 2001 to take part in the Sept. 11 attacks,&#8221; the report added.
The 46-year-old, held at Gitmo since 2002, &#8220;will receive treatment at a psychiatric facility,&#8221; NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/us-sends-saudi-detainee-linked-911-home-guantanamo-rcna19078">reported</a>. &#8220;His lawyers maintain that he has displayed symptoms of schizophrenia since a young age, and in 2002 an FBI official saw al-Qahtani speaking to non-existent people, hearing voices and crouching in a corner of his cell while covering himself with a sheet for hours.&#8221;
Read the full DOD press release, below:
<blockquote>The Department of Defense announced today the repatriation of Mohammad Mani Ahmad al-Qahtani from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
On June 9, 2021, the Periodic Review Board process determined that law of war detention of Mohammad Mani Ahmad al-Qahtani was no longer necessary to protect against a continuing significant threat to the national security of the United States. Therefore, the PRB recommended that al-Qahtani be repatriated to his native country of Saudi Arabia, subject to security and humane treatment assurances.
On Feb. 4, 2022, Secretary of Defense Austin notified Congress of his intent to repatriate al-Qahtani to Saudi Arabia. In consultation with our Saudi partners, we completed the requirements for responsible transfers.
The United States appreciates the willingness of Saudi Arabia and other partners to support ongoing U.S. efforts toward a deliberate and thorough process focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing of the Guantanamo Bay facility.
The PRB process was established by the President&#8217;s March 7, 2011 Executive Order 13567. It is consistent with section 1023 of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2012 and affirmed in Executive Order 13823 (January 30, 2018).
The PRB panel consists of one senior career official each from the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, and State, along with the Joint Staff and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Today, 38 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay: 19 are eligible for transfer; 7 are eligible for a Periodic Review Board; 10 are involved in the military commissions process; and two detainees have been convicted in military commissions.</blockquote>

President-Elect Biden Introduces Nominee For Secretary Of Defense General Lloyd Austin

Biden Admin Sends Home Gitmo Detainee Dubbed ‘20th Hijacker’ Of 9/11, Will Receive ‘Psychiatric’ Treatment

Two Republican House members are introducing a measure that will block a plan from the Biden administration, which was put on pause over the weekend, that would vaccinate terrorist suspects being held at Guantanamo Bay before the majority of Americans have received vaccinations for the coronavirus.
The measure from Reps. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) and Elise Stefanik (R-NY) opposes &#8220;any plans by the United States Department of Defense to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to prisoners held at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay and detained during operations conducted during the Global War on Terrorism until all Americans have had the opportunity to be vaccinated,&#8221; according to the measure&#8217;s text, obtained by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-stefanik-hinson-resolution-gitmo-vaccinations">Fox News</a>. It further states that &#8220;efforts by the United States Government to provide vaccinations for COVID-19 should prioritize United States citizens.&#8221;
&#8220;It is inexcusable and un-American that President Biden is prioritizing vaccines for Gitmo terrorist detainees over American citizens, including veterans, first responders, 9/11 first responders, and seniors,&#8221; Stefanik said in a statement. &#8220;Every American should have access to vaccines before these heinous terrorists.&#8221;
&#8220;Americans need to get the vaccine before terrorists, and it&#8217;s upsetting to me that that even was a question, and I think we need to make sure the administration is held accountable for this and that&#8217;s what I think this resolution does,&#8221; Hinson said in a statement. &#8220;It puts a spotlight on the thinking and the planning that was going on behind this.&#8221;
The Biden administration announced on Saturday that it was pausing giving coronavirus vaccines to &#8220;the 40 wartime prisoners at Guantánamo Bay after an outcry over whether the Defense Department was putting terrorism suspects before the American people,&#8221; The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/30/us/politics/coronavirus-vaccine-guantanamo.html">reported</a>. &#8220;The 40 prisoners include Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who is accused of being the mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, as well as six men who have been cleared for release by an interagency government panel.&#8221;
Defense Department Press Secretary John Kirby tweeted: &#8220;No Guantanamo detainees have been vaccinated. We’re pausing the plan to move forward, as we review force protection protocols. We remain committed to our obligations to keep our troops safe.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
No Guantanamo detainees have been vaccinated. We’re pausing the plan to move forward, as we review force protection protocols. We remain committed to our obligations to keep our troops safe.
&mdash; John Kirby (@PentagonPresSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PentagonPresSec/status/1355600353086025731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/01/29/khalid-sheikh-mohammed-to-get-covid-19-vaccine-in-guantanamo/">reported</a> that the original order to vaccinate the detainees &#8220;was signed on Jan. 27 by Terry Adirim, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs who was sworn in as a Biden appointee on Inauguration Day.&#8221;
Retired FDNY Lt. Michael O’Connell, who was one of the first responders on 9/11, developed an autoimmune disorder from breathing in the toxins that were in the air at the World Trade Center.
“This is a real kick in the balls. It’s very upsetting. It’s absolutely disgusting,” he said about the Biden administration&#8217;s plan. “These terrorists committed harm but the patriots are the ones who have to wait to get vaccinated. We responded within 10 seconds of when the first plane crashed into the building. Here we are a year later [since the COVID-19 outbreak] and the politicians can’t get it right on the coronavirus vaccine.”

Camp X-Ray In Cuba

Republicans Introduce Measure To Block GITMO Detainees From Being Vaccinated Before Americans

Taxpayers have reportedly paid an estimated $161.5 million to house Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, keeping him alive so that he can stand trial, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/guantanamo-cost-prisoners-khalid-sheikh-mohammed">according to Fox News</a>.
The sheer cost of housing, feeding, and treating the Guantanamo Bay detainees makes it, the outlet reports, the “most expensive prison on earth.”
“The U.S. government has spent an estimated $161.5 million housing the suspected mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks,” Fox News noted. “And up until Saturday, Mohammed was to receive a coronavirus vaccine so that he could be tried and put to death if convicted.”
“A lack of vaccinations had reportedly made it difficult for federal prosecutors to move forward with war crimes hearings at the base, which is why Terry Adirim, the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for health affairs under President Biden signed an order Jan. 27 to vaccinate the suspected terrorists,” according to Fox, quoting the New York Post.
The decision was also reportedly motivated by concern that the international community would look critically on the U.S.’s decision to hold suspected jihadists in close quarters if there were to be a coronavirus outbreak.
That decision was reversed Saturday night after a public outcry that noted most essential workers have yet to receive their vaccines, even as alleged terrorists – including Mohammed, who confessed to orchestrating the attack back in 2003 after being captured – were given priority access to the COVID-19 shot.
The story apparently made Fox reporters curious as to how much is spent per prisoner, per year, as the suspected terrorists await trial. Using numbers released to National Public radio in 2020, Fox calculated that it costs U.S. taxpayers between $9 million and $13 million per prisoner per year. Given that around 770 inmates have cycled through GitMo over the course of its operation, that brings the grand total to around $161 million.
That number is in addition to the $6 billion spent to operate and staff “GitMo,” to charter planes to ferry prisoners back and forth to the island, and plenty of government devices “destroyed each year to” prevent “spills of classified information.” It is also in addition to legal costs – an astounding $60 million.
The number is also growing. Per Fox, cost per prisoner has risen steadily over the past few years as detainees like Mohammed have aged, creating what one Navy lawyer termed a “boutique prison” for “alleged geriatric jihadists.”
Former President Barack Obama tried to alleviate some of the cost by pushing to transfer around 40 high-value prisoners to American soil during his tenure, but members of Congress blocked the change, citing both security concerns and potential legal issues with housing suspected terrorists within the continental United States. Former President Donald Trump reportedly tried to expedite proceedings, but with little effect.
The pandemic complicated issues further. Mohammed was set to stand trial starting in early January of 2021, but proceedings have been delayed “indefinitely.”

Prison

Report: Americans Have Spent $161.5 Million Housing Suspected Terrorists At Guantanamo Bay

The Department of Defense halted plans Saturday afternoon to begin offering COVID-19 vaccines to the 40 prisoners detained at Guantanamo Bay, where alleged 9-11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammad has been held for the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/guantanamo/detainees/10024-khalid-shaikh-mohammed">last 14 years</a>, beginning next week.
“No Guantanamo detainees have been vaccinated. We’re pausing the plan to move forward, as we review force protection protocols,” said Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby in a statement. “We remain committed to our obligations to keep our troops safe.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
No Guantanamo detainees have been vaccinated. We’re pausing the plan to move forward, as we review force protection protocols. We remain committed to our obligations to keep our troops safe.
— John Kirby (@PentagonPresSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PentagonPresSec/status/1355600353086025731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
Clayton G. Trivett Jr., a prosecutor in cases against five Guantanamo Bay detainees, told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/28/world/covid-19-coronavirus#the-pentagon-says-prisoners-at-guantanamo-bay-will-be-offered-vaccination">The New York Times</a> that a Pentagon official signed a memo “approving the delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine to the detainee population in Guantánamo” on a voluntary basis. A Pentagon spokesperson told the Times on Friday that the memo had been signed on Wednesday by Dr. Terry Adirim, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for health affairs.
Before the order was paused, Pentagon spokesperson Michael Howard told the <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/01/29/khalid-sheikh-mohammed-to-get-covid-19-vaccine-in-guantanamo/">New York Post</a> that any COVID-19 vaccines would be administered to prisoners “in accordance with the Department’s priority distribution plans.”
The Pentagon’s decision to put the detainee-vaccination plan on hold comes after lawmakers and New Yorkers voiced opposition to the plan, particularly in light of the ongoing need to vaccinate more senior citizens around the United States.
“President Biden told us he would have a plan to defeat the virus on day 1. He just never told us that it would be to give the vaccine to terrorists before most Americans,” said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). After the Department of Defense reversed the guidance in the memo, McCarthy simply responded: &#8220;Good.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Biden told us he would have a plan to defeat the virus on day 1. He just never told us that it would be to give the vaccine to terrorists before most Americans.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPLeader/status/1355577151031017473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
“You can’t make this up,&#8221; Tom Von Essen, the New York City fire commissioner during the September 11 attacks, told the <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/01/29/khalid-sheikh-mohammed-to-get-covid-19-vaccine-in-guantanamo/">New York Post</a> after the policy was revealed. &#8220;The ridiculousness of what we get from our government. They will run the vaccine down to those lowlifes at Guantanamo Bay before every resident of the United States of America gets it is the theater of the absurd.&#8221;
New York State Assemblyman Colin Schmitt (R) called it a “national disgrace” and &#8220;embarrassment&#8221; for the U.S. to inoculate any “terrorists arm” before the county was done vaccinating senior citizens, first responders, and all of those who have pre-existing conditions caused by 9-11 related illnesses.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ASSEMBLYMAN COLIN SCHMITT: NO COVID SHOTS FOR 9-11 TERRORISTS AND GITMO PRISONERS <a href="https://t.co/GoDS1sheSV">https://t.co/GoDS1sheSV</a> <a href="https://t.co/hfszH4gyzj">pic.twitter.com/hfszH4gyzj</a>
— Colin Schmitt (@colinschmitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/colinschmitt/status/1355525688263143425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2021</a></blockquote>

US-POLITICS-INTELLIGENCE-GUANTANAMO-TORTURE

Pentagon Pauses Plan To Offer Vaccines To Guantanamo Bay Detainees

COVID-19 Vaccine

Update note: This article has been expanded after publication to include additional information. 
While millions of Americans wait anxiously for the chance to obtain the coronavirus vaccine, the Biden administration is preparing to provide the vaccine to terrorism suspects at Guantánamo Bay, according to new reports.
“The Pentagon will offer coronavirus vaccinations to inmates at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba by as soon as next week,&#8221; Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pentagon-vaccines-guantanamo-bay-prisoners-officials-say">reported</a> Thursday, citing defense officials with knowledge of the decision. &#8220;The 40 prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay military prison will be offered vaccines ‘on a voluntary basis’ because consent is required to administer a treatment that has yet to receive full FDA approval.&#8221;
According to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/28/world/covid-19-coronavirus#the-pentagon-says-prisoners-at-guantanamo-bay-will-be-offered-vaccination">The New York Times</a>, the terror suspects, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who has boasted of masterminding the 9/11 attacks that killed roughly 3,000 Americans, will be vaccinated “possibly starting next week, according to a prosecutor in the case against five prisoners accused of conspiring in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.” The Times added, “The prosecutor, Clayton G. Trivett Jr., wrote to defense lawyers on Thursday ‘that an official in the Pentagon has just signed a memo approving the delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine to the detainee population in Guantánamo.’”
The Times noted, “Medical workers at the U.S. naval base began vaccinating the 6,000 residents on Jan. 8, including the 1,500 troops assigned to the detention operation. But the Trump administration had declined to say whether prisoners would be vaccinated.”
Just before his 2018 State of the Union address, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order to keep Guantanamo Bay open. That order repealed part of a Barack Obama 2009 executive order calling for detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay to be closed. Trump wrote:
<blockquote>Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) and other authorities authorized the United States to detain certain persons who were a part of or substantially supported al-Qa&#8217;ida, the Taliban, or associated forces engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners. Today, the United States remains engaged in an armed conflict with al-Qa&#8217;ida, the Taliban, and associated forces, including with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. …  
Given that some of the current detainee population represent the most difficult and dangerous cases from among those historically detained at the facility, there is significant reason for concern regarding their reengagement in hostilities should they have the opportunity. … Section 3 of <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/executive-order/13492">Executive Order 13492</a> of January 22, 2009 (Review and Disposition of Individuals Detained at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base and Closure of Detention Facilities), ordering the closure of detention facilities at U.S. Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, is hereby revoked.</blockquote>
In his 2018 State of the Union address, Trump stated concerning his order on Guantánamo Bay:
<blockquote>Terrorists who do things like place bombs in civilian hospitals are evil. When possible, we annihilate them. When necessary, we must be able to detain and question them. But we must be clear: Terrorists are not merely criminals. They are unlawful enemy combatants. And when captured overseas, they should be treated like the terrorists they are. 
In the past, we have foolishly released hundreds of dangerous terrorists, only to meet them again on the battlefield – including the ISIS leader, al-Baghdadi. So today, I am keeping another promise. I just signed an order directing Secretary Mattis to reexamine our military detention policy and to keep open the detention facilities at Guantánamo Bay.
I am also asking the Congress to ensure that, in the fight against ISIS and al-Qa’ida, we continue to have all necessary power to detain terrorists – wherever we chase them down.</blockquote>
The list of the 40 detainees at Guantanamo Bay can be found <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/guantanamo/detainees/current">here</a>.
[UPDATE]: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pentagon-pauses-plan-to-offer-vaccines-to-guantanamo-bay-detainees">Pentagon Pauses Plan To Offer Vaccines To Guantanamo Bay Detainees</a>

Joe Biden

While Americans Wait, Biden Administration To Offer Vaccine To Suspected Terrorists

Donald Trump

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