9/11 plotters start on their road to freedom: lawyers to argue they're incompete

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9/11 plotters start on their road to freedom: lawyers to argue they're incompetent to stand trial
The glorious fruit of giving the 9/11 plotters civilian trials is already beginning to appear. Watch for these guys to walk -- after wasting a few taxpayer millions, that is. "Mental State Cited in 9/11 Case," by Jess Bravin in the Wall Street Journal, November 27 (thanks to Elisa):

WASHINGTON -- When five defendants are brought before a New York federal judge to face charges for the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the first question may be whether some of them are competent to stand trial at all.
Military lawyers for Ramzi Binalshibh, an accused organizer of the 9/11 plot, and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, the conspiracy's alleged paymaster, say their clients have mental disorders that make them unfit for trial, likely caused or exacerbated by years of harsh confinement in Central Intelligence Agency custody.

The issue already has arisen in military-commission proceedings at the military's detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. According to an August ruling by a military judge, prosecutors have made an "apparent concession" that Mr. Binalshibh "suffers from a delusional disorder-persecutory type" disorder. Mr. Binalshibh has been prescribed "a variety of psychotropic medications used to treat schizophrenia and/or bipolar disorder, including Haldol, Abilify, risperidone and Ativan," according to commission records.

In October 2008, a military medical board reported Mr. Binalshibh may suffer from "severe mental disease" that could "impair his ability to conduct or cooperate intelligently in his defense."...

Posted by Robert on November 27, 2009 8:35 AM | 30 Comments