Court-Martial For Gitmo Translator
A U.S. Air Force translator at the Guantanamo Bay prison for terrorism suspects will go before a court-martial on 20 charges in the continuing probe of possible espionage at the facility.
Ten other charges against Senior Airman Ahmad I. al-Halabi were dropped, and the general who referred the case to a court-martial decided the military will not seek the death penalty, Air Force officials said in a statement late Thursday. The date for the proceeding has not been set.
Al-Halabi, who worked for nine months at the military's prison in Cuba, faces the most serious charges among three who officials say they have arrested since July in the probe of alleged security breaches.
Al-Halabi had said that he is innocent. One of his lawyers, Air Force Maj. James Key III, has said the Syrian-born al-Halabi is a naturalized U.S. citizen and a patriotic American.
The military alleges he gave classified information to people from Syria and Qatar about the prison housing some 660 suspects, mostly reported to be from the al Qaeda terrorist network, former Taliban regime of Afghanistan and other terrorist organizations.
He was arrested July 23 at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station in Florida and being held at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
The charges against al-Halabi include seven counts alleging that he failed to obey a lawful order; one that he aided the enemy; four alleging he committed espionage; five that he made false statements to investigators; two that he possessed sensitive documents; and one that he lied on credit applications.
Others from Guantanamo who have been charged are Muslim chaplain Capt. James Yee, who also has used the first name Yousef. Officials have charged him with two counts of mishandling classified information. The 35-year-old chaplain is being held in a Navy prison.
A civilian interpreter, Ahmad F. Mehalba, was arrested in late September in Boston while returning to the United States from his native Egypt. He's charged with lying to federal agents by denying computer discs he was carrying had classified information from Guantanamo on them. Mehalba also has pleaded innocent.