In Session: Sidebar  « Back to Blog Main
July 23, 2008

In Session in Cuba: bin Laden's driver on trial

Posted: 09:36 PM ET

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba–The U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is the oldest U.S. base overseas and the only one in a communist country, with a climate that makes it suitable for banana rats and iguanas. But it will now be forever linked to something much more infamous - the first war crimes trial since World War II, involving Osama bin Laden's driver Salim Hamdan.

In Session arrived by cargo plane and then ferried across a turqoise bay to what is now known as "Camp Justice." The military has set up a press center in a giagantic cavernous hangar just below the courtroom, located atop a hill populated with several armed soldiers. The press is able to enter the courtroom in shifts or view it in the media office on a continuous closed-circuit feed. We are the only ones able to watch Hamdan and I was 15 feet away from the defendant inside the courtroom for what could be the most dramatic moment of the trial.

As prosecutors played an interrogation tape of Hamdan shortly after his arrest in Afghanistan, he rose from behind the defense table and was immediately surrounded by some four court guards. Hamdan was intent on leaving and told the judge that in his absence, the defense could not speak for him. He was eventually ushered out of the courtroom. The tape, which shows Hamdan kneeling on the ground, sometimes with a bag over his head and his hands tied, played on in Hamdan's absence.

Some time later, a defense attorney notified the judge that Hamdan wanted to come back to the court. He reentered the courtroom and sat quietly until the tape was finished and the gavel went down. The commission of jurors left the court and Hamdan addressed the judge once again. This time he told the judge that he wanted the commission back because he wanted to apologize for his outburst.

The judge said he will now give Hamdan an opportunity to personally address the commission when court resumes. The judge has said, ""the eyes of the world are on Guantanamo Bay," we hope he's right. While the media room is abuzz with foreign tongues linked to Al Jazeera, Saudi Press Agency, Agence France-Presse and BBC Arabic TV, only In Session and CNN have been present from the American media.

Watch Senior Editor Fred Graham's reports on this historic case on In Session.

–Bob Regan, In Session senior executive producer

Filed under: Trials


Share this on:
Nick   August 1st, 2008 8:17 am ET

What is this guy charged with again? Being a driver? I think the U.S. government is just putting on a kangaroo court trial. I have to agree with Hamdan; he should be found NOT GUILTY.

picsuf   January 5th, 2009 8:33 pm ET

Monique, a Leaf fan, set up this absolutely well-defined to believe. Now, let me core out that this was in no way an try to official one cooperate is more wisely than the other. It was objective a regarding to glory two things.

Leave Your Comment


 

Comments are moderated by CNN, in accordance with the CNN Comment Policy, and may not appear on this blog until they have been reviewed and deemed appropriate for posting. Also, due to the volume of comments we receive, not all comments will be posted.


subscribe RSS Icon
About this blog

Sidebar takes you behind the scenes of the day's legal headlines with breaking news and in-depth analysis from In Session's anchors and correspondents.

Contact us
  • Questions or comments? E-mail
In Session Team
Jean Casarez
Correspondent
Jean Casarez
Beth Karas
Correspondent
Beth Karas
Mike Brooks
Law Enforcement Analyst
Mike Brooks
Midwin Charles
Legal Contributor
Midwin Charles
Sunny Hostin
Legal Contributor
Sunny Hostin
Powered by WordPress.com VIP