The First Conviction
Yesterday marked the first conviction of a Guantanamo detainee since the Obama Administration revamped the US military commission rules. Human Rights Watch (HRW) states
The commissions’ jurisdiction extends beyond the traditional laws of war to cover suspected terrorists picked up outside of any armed conflict. The new law limits the admission of coerced and hearsay evidence, and grants greater resources to defense counsel.
In addition to holding a variety of positions during his tenure in al-Qaeda, beginning in 1990, Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmoud al Qosi served as driver, accountant, and cook for Osama Bin Laden. He has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and providing material support to terrorism (a charge which the Obama Administration insists is not a law of war violation still prosecutable by military commissions). Dubai based al-Aribayya is reporting that his sentence could range from life to no additional time, although both sides refuse to revel the details of his plea bargain; two additional years of detention has been mentioned. A military jury will decide his fate on August 9, where both sides will present witnesses.
Although being praised as a victory by the government, many human rights groups say there is still much work to be done before they can see it as such. When discussing the matter a counterterrorism advisor for HRW said
He’s a cook who served as a driver and possibly a body guard. Can you imagine if during Nuremberg they prosecuted cooks and drivers? It didn’t happen.
Furthermore, Qosi is the fourth prisoner convicted at Guantanamo where 181 prisoners still remain. But, this is an encouraging step. Officials have become hopeful that more guilty convictions will follow, allowing President Obama to fulfill his pledge to close Guantanamo.
