Alleged 9/11 mastermind facing military justice

(CBS News) GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - The first step in the long-delayed trial of the man who has said -- who has boasted -- that he orchestrated the 9/11 attacks on America was set to begin Saturday.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other alleged al Qaeda operatives were to be arraigned at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Four years ago, the Bush Administration brought Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other top 9/11 suspects to trial here in a military courtroom.

But when President Obama took office, he ordered the Guantanamo facility where suspects were being held closed. He said the suspects instead would stand trial in a regular criminal courtroom in New York.

The 5 accused 9/11 plotters: Who are they?

But opposition to that was so intense, they had to scrub those plans. And now, the proceedings were to be held right back where they started and in the format first envisioned -- military trials at Guantanamo Bay.

Without Kahlid Sheikh Mohammed, September 11 would not have happened. The confessed mastermind, known as "KSM," proposed to Osama bin Laden the plot to not only hijack airplanes, but fly them into buildings.

"I hope he turns around and looks at me," says Eddie Backen. "I want to see him face-to-face, because that's the one who killed my sister."

Bracken, whose sister, Lucy Fishman, died in the World Trade Center, came to Guantanamo for Saturday's hearing with nine other victims' family members, including Tara Butzbaugh.

Her brother, John Henwood, was working as a bond trader on the World Trade Center's 106th floor. "Imagine," says Butzbaugh, "how you wud feel if you looked at the burning buildings, and it was your brother."

On Saturday morning, KSM was to appear in before a military judge to face 2,976 charges of murder in the worst terrorist attacks ever on U.S. soil. Also being charged are Waleed bin Attash, an alleged al Qaeda operative; Ramzi bin al-Shibh, who allegedly would have been a hijacker but couldn't get a visa; and Ali Abdul Aziz Ali and Mustafa Hawsawi, who allegedly helped finance the attacks.

Four years ago, the Bush administration brought them to trial in the same military courtroom.

It was the first time the public had seen KSM since his capture in 2003 -- and he was unrecognizable. Thin, and with a long, bushy beard, KSM also was defiant: He fired his lawyers, railed against America and told the judge he wanted to plead guilty because, as he said, "I'm looking to be martyred."

Although the five suspects said four years ago they wanted to plead guilty, we're hearing from defense attorneys that they've now changed their minds and may not plead guilty this time.

That would mean these proceedings would continue, giving the five a platform to keep bashing America.

To see Jan Crawford's report, click on the video in the player above.

[frankothemountain]

This is Obamas campaign! LOL! Boo!!!! Are you scared of the looney "terrorists"? E gadz you people are stupid.

[danstoner]

LMAO, the older pics of him look EXACTLY like the "terrorists" in Team America: World Police!

[Data_Jack]

They should have been tried in civilian court in NYC. The cowardly GOP prevented that, and it is a true miscarriage of justice. The fact that the current administration caved into these cowardly demands is a travesty.

[pat0722]

Maybe we can have KSM work a pig farm for the rest of his murderous life!

[jimshoots63]

Does anyone spell check these stories before they put them on the internet?

[frankothemountain]

No they don't. They are just carbon copies from AP. What are you expecting, reporting? hahahahahahahaha

[AndyMar45]

The reason these men couldn't be tried in a courtroom is that an open courtroom would exposed to the world the clear evidence that the destruction of the World Trade Center was an inside job. Whatever their involvement, their best defense is to question how the first three steel superstructure towers in history could fall symmetrically straight into the path of most resistance while the collapse accelerated at free fall speed. Breaking the laws of physics isn't in their power.

[technocoffee]

"clear evidence"...of the confessions they & Osama bin Laden gave of hijacking the planes, killing the passengers plus the footage of the planes we all saw live around the world of them doing it? The hijackers and victims are all still dead-so what part of this was a hoax/inside job? Guilty people always have grand conspiracy theories that only sound believable to them. Why did the al-Qaida magazine "Inspire" tell Ahmadinajad of Iran to stop saying that 9-11 was an inside job because it "denies the glory of our greatest victory"? Face up to it: Islamic extremists did it, making them the world's most evil, cowardly mass murderers who INTENTIONALLY aim the fight at unarmed civilians!

[mikethep]

And the only reason Cheney got a new heart was because he threatened to disclose the evil plan carried out by the Bush administration to destroy the towers and blame it on Islamics so he could invade Iraq and steal all of their oil to profit Halliburton.

[PDelfornia]

How many millions were wasted by Obama failure in judgement ? These murderers should be given Sharia law and beheaded !

[Yankee_Doodle]

Interesting that Obama will take full credit for getting Bin Laden, but wanted these terrorists to be prosecuted in the US with full Constitutional rights.

[mikethep]

Thank you Obama and Holder for delaying justice with your insane ideas.