New York trial for 9/11 suspects
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is to be sent to New York to face trial
Friday, 13, Nov 2009 04:57
By Richard James.
The man accused of masterminding the September 11th terror attacks and four other men are to be sent to New York to face trial, the US attorney general has confirmed.
Eric Holder announced in a press conference in Washington on Friday the men would be transferred from Guantanamo Bay to US soil to stand trial in a civilian federal court.
The US military claims Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has admitted planning the terror attacks "from A to Z".
The decision to move the men from Cuba is part of US president Barack Obama's ongoing efforts to close Guantanamo in January.
Mr Holder confirmed the five men would no longer face prosecution at the detention centre but instead their cases would be transferred to the southern district of New York.
Initial proceedings are due to take place near Ground Zero, the former site of the Twin Towers destroyed in the terror attacks.
Mohammed's testimony in which he admitted responsibility for the attacks continues to be surrounded by controversy after it emerged he had been subjected to harsh interrogation techniques, including the controversial waterboarding over 180 times.