Guantanamo guards bring 9/11 captive to court in restraint chair
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba _ A Saudi captive accused in the Sept. 11 plot returned to the war court Monday in a restraint chair, seven weeks after a surgeon fixed his torn rectum and over the objections of his lawyers, who said he was still experiencing post-operative pain.
The start of a weeklong session devoted to pretrial issues, including the health of alleged conspirator Mustafa al-Hawsawi, 48, was delayed because guards were late in bringing the Saudi to court.
Soldiers wheeled him into court in a detention center restraint chair typically used to carry out forced feedings at the prison. He was buckled in at the waist but not shackled, according to reporters who watched his arrival, stood on his own in court and sat gingerly on the defendant's chair _ after soldiers rested a large bed pillow atop it.
Al-Hawsawi is accused of helping some of the hijackers who killed nearly 3,000 people on Sept. 11, 2001, with money, Western clothing, travelers' checks and credit cards, and like the other four awaiting trial as conspirators could face military execution if convicted.
He huddled with two of his attorneys, death-penalty defender Walter Ruiz and Marine Lt. Col. Sean Gleason at the start of the hearing, sounding hoarse as he said he understood his right to waive attendance at court after Monday's session.
At issue, said Judge Col. James L. Pohl, was whether, if al-Hawsawi was in too much pain to work with his legal team and wanted to go back to his cell to recuperate, was his attendance waiver voluntary. He provisionally found him fit enough and ordered him brought to court on Monday over the objections of attorney Ruiz, who called the judge "inhumane."
A surgeon repaired a fissure in al-Hawsawi's anus at Guantanamo's base hospital on the Friday night after the October hearing _ 51 days ago, according to case prosecutor Bob Swann. "The issue is, can he sit in that seat and pay attention to what's going on?"
Al-Hawsawi's attorneys say the damage was caused during his years in CIA custody. Prosecutors in a court filing called the reconstructive surgery "elective."
_Miami Herald
