The military trial for five men accused of plotting the 9/11 terror attacks that killed thousands of Americans continues to be stalled at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, prison with no trial date in sight.
The five men accused of helping the 9/11 hijackers more than 16 years ago have been in U.S. custody for more than 10 years, and were arraigned in the latest iteration of their military commissions trial in 2012. The Obama administration wanted the men tried in federal court, but gave up after resistance from a vocal faction of 9/11 victims’ family members and members of Congress.
Since 2012, the defense and prosecution have been locked in a slow-as-molasses back and forth of pretrial motions, covering everything from the type of apparel the detainees can wear in court to whether the defense attorneys can access troves of classified government material detailing the torture some of the detainees faced while in CIA custody.
In July, the prosecution, led by Brig. Gen. Mark Martins, asked for jury selection to begin in January of 2019, and estimated the trial itself would only take two months.
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