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Technical errors mar new court room debut
Osama Bin Laden's suspected "media director" rejected US terrorism court proceedings and renewed his allegiance to the Al Qaida leader on Wednesday in a hearing marred by technical flaws in newly built Guantanamo courtroom.
- Reuters
- Published: 00:43 May 9, 2008
Guantanamo Bay: Osama Bin Laden's suspected "media director" rejected US terrorism court proceedings and renewed his allegiance to the Al Qaida leader on Wednesday in a hearing marred by technical flaws in newly built Guantanamo courtroom.
With the lights momentarily out from a power failure in the windowless military courtroom set up to try Guantanamo prisoners, Al Hamza Ahmad Suliman al Bahlul declined to enter a plea at his arraignment on three terrorism related charges.
He had earlier held up a handwritten "boycott" sign and declined to answer when asked whether he was rejecting his military attorney, though in a lengthy statement to the court he indicated he would not contest his charges.
"I will never deny that I have done any act, that I have participated with bin Laden in fighting you or your allies, the Jews," Bahlul said.
"We will continue in our jihad and nothing is going to stop us."
The power failure and technical problems repeatedly disrupted what was the first hearing in the new courtroom, part of a $12 million (Dh44.07 million) complex built to handle a wave of trials expected to begin later this month at the US naval base in southeastern Cuba.
"I think they should hire Bahlul to do a sound check next time," said Air Force Major David Frakt, a military lawyer assigned to represent Bahlul.
Prosecutors describe Bahlul as audio-visual media expert for Al Qaida and Bin Laden's bodyguard.
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