Bin Laden driver convicted

jdobbin · August 6, 2008

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26055301/

A military jury on Wednesday found a former driver for Osama bin Laden guilty on some counts but cleared him of others in the first Guantanamo war crimes trial.
A panel of six American military officers delivered the decision in the case against Salim Hamdan, a Yemeni.

The jury deliberated for about eight hours over three days before convicting Hamdan of supporting terrorism. He was cleared of the conspiracy charge.

I wonder if that life sentence will be done in the U.S. if Guantanamo is closed.

GostHacked · August 7, 2008

He was cleared of the more major charge, and was convicted on a much much lesser charge.

The war is being won!!!

bush_cheney2004 · August 7, 2008

He was cleared of the more major charge, and was convicted on a much much lesser charge.

The lesser charge (convicted on five counts of supporting terrorism) only carries a sentence of life imprisonment.

Good thing he didn't do anything really bad!

GostHacked · August 7, 2008

The lesser charge (convicted on five counts of supporting terrorism) only carries a sentence of life imprisonment.
Good thing he didn't do anything really bad!

He would have gotten life anyways.

maldon_road · August 7, 2008

He would have gotten life anyways.

And of course they would have kept him in prison even if he had been acquitted. :lol:

Edited August 7, 2008 by maldon_road

myata · August 7, 2008

I wonder what happened to Hitler's driver?! That sure must have been one serious nazi sympathizer (or even mastermind, with a right investigation technique). Then, victor's justice was only in its baby stage back then.

Edited August 7, 2008 by myata

GostHacked · August 7, 2008

Looks like the guy gets 5.5 years.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/08/07/hamdan.trial/index.html

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba (CNN) -- Osama bin Laden's former driver was sentenced to 66 months in prison Thursday after his conviction on charges of providing material support to al Qaeda.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26055301/

The military judge, Navy Capt. Keith Allred, already ruled that Hamdan should receive five years of credit for the time he has served at Guantanamo Bay since the Pentagon decided to charge him

He could be out in 6 months. Good to see thoe handpicked jurors from the Pentagon did their job ... I think.

jdobbin · August 8, 2008

He could be out in 6 months. Good to see thoe handpicked jurors from the Pentagon did their job ... I think.

It is an interesting turn.

You are right that he might be released soon. I don't think this the result the administration wanted. I expect they thought it would an actual life sentence.

maldon_road · August 8, 2008

It is an interesting turn.
You are right that he might be released soon. I don't think this the result the administration wanted. I expect they thought it would an actual life sentence.

Well, Bush won't be around when he gets out.

GostHacked · August 8, 2008

It is an interesting turn.
You are right that he might be released soon. I don't think this the result the administration wanted. I expect they thought it would an actual life sentence.

Even when you admit you helped out, like Moussaoui did, you get life, not the death sentence.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...6050300324.html

Jurors carefully went over each question on a 42-page verdict form that gave only a few clues to their thoughts and reasoning. In the end, though, the form indicated that prosecutors could not surmount the main obstacle hanging over their case from the start: Moussaoui did not hijack anything Sept. 11, 2001, because he was sitting in jail.

This is odd as well because Mussaoui was sitting in a jail cell before, during and after the 9/11 attacks. If he was sitting in a jail prior to 9/11 because of his knowledge about 9/11, would he then not really be a part of it?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4943196.stm

During six weeks of testimony in a Virginia court, prosecutors had argued he withheld information that could have helped prevent the attacks on New York and Washington.

I guess this is in retrospect that they figured this out. Bush was not concerned about Bin Laden at the time. Even the Presidential Daily Briefing which the title was 'Osama determined to strike in the US' did not wake anyone up.

jdobbin · August 8, 2008

Well, Bush won't be around when he gets out.

Actually, he might be. He could be out in a few months prior to Bush leaving office.

Shady · August 8, 2008

Even the Presidential Daily Briefing which the title was 'Osama determined to strike in the US' did not wake anyone up.

You mean the "Sky is blue" Presidential Daily Briefing? Well duh, Osama Bin Laden had been determined to strike America since his declaration of war on America back in 1996.

maldon_road · August 8, 2008

Actually, he might be. He could be out in a few months prior to Bush leaving office.

Maybe, or maybe not. Bush pulls the plug in just over five months. I wonder if the new President will order him kept in prison even after he has completed his sentence.

Keepitsimple · August 9, 2008

I give credit to the Military Tribunal process. It seems that they considered all the facts and delivered a reasonable sentence....and isn't that what justice is all about?