Lorraine Arias-Beliveau’s youngest brother Adam Arias was killed in Tower 2 of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. In yesterday’s New York Daily News, she described her close encounter with Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and her reaction the next day, while still on Guantanamo Naval Base, when President Barack Obama announced Gitmo would close:
I could hardly believe my eyes when he came into focus: Khalid Shaik Mohammed, the man who boasted of having masterminded the attacks. He sat there in front of us, preening his beard. Did he seem humbled or chastened? Hardly. He looked like, deep inside, he was laughing in our faces.
What we then saw unfold was less of a trial than a farce. Mohammed dismissed his council — only to call them back. He sat there at the table, in front of his personal computer, complaining about something he had read in The Wall Street Journal — holding up the newspaper for the rest of us to see.
Before long, the scene was overwhelmed by a steady stream of what sounded to me like legal minutiae and trivialities. It was sickening. It was surreal.
I will never forget what interrupted that: Khalid Shaikh Mohammed’s defense declaring to the court that their client was requesting a cushion because his seat in the van had been too hard. A debate unfolded: the prosecution claimed the cushion had already been provided; the defense insisted he had not received one.
Was this really happening? I went outside for air. My on-base escort followed and asked me what was wrong. “Three thousand people are dead and they are arguing over a cushion,” I answered.
Then came a two hour break — one for lunch, the second for the defendants’ specially protected hour of prayer.
It wasn’t long before the circus resumed. Back at trial, Mohammed burst out with this (according to my notes): “I did it I said I did it! I am proud I did it for jihad!! We say we are guilty just sentence me!”
The words were chilling but something cut even deeper to my core: his gaze. Mohammed turned to make eye contact with us. We stared back.
Before long, court was dismissed, and we were informed that, due to the inauguration of the new President, there would be no hearings the following day.
The following morning we heard the news over CNN: by order of the President, all the proceedings were now on hold… READ THE REST.
That courtroom discussion about a cushion for a self-confessed mass-murderer’s derrière was no joke. It is but one product of a so far successful campaign conducted on behalf of Islamic terrorists by their profiteering lawyers. Their tales of torture, abuse, starvation, and deprivation has been knowingly furthered by human rights organizations, newspapers, and media outlets.
No pun intended, the end result of their propaganda may well be terrorists moved to America’s prisons in or near civilian populaces, attacks conducted to free them, al Qaeda trained jihadists released on bail onto America’s streets pending trial, the granting to some among them permanent resident status, and the public disclosure of America’s secrets during their trials in our federal courts.
Was it really a propaganda campaign? Yes.
