Saudi has 9/11 charges dropped
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- The Pentagon has dropped charges against a Saudi at Guantanamo who was suspected of being the so-called 20th hijacker in the Sept. 11 attack, his U.S. military defense attorney said yesterday.
Mohammed al-Qahtani was one of six men charged by the military in February with murder and war crimes for their alleged roles in the 2001 attack. Authorities say al-Qahtani missed taking part in the attacks because he had been denied entry to the U.S. by an immigration agent.
But in reviewing the case, the convening authority for military commissions, Susan Crawford, decided to dismiss the charges against al-Qahtani and proceed with arraignment for the five others, said Army Lt. Col. Bryan Broyles, the Saudi's military attorney.
Crawford dismissed the charges Friday without prejudice, meaning they could be filed again later, Broyles said.
The attorney said he could not comment on the reasons for the dismissal until discussing the case with attorneys for the five other defendants. Officials said earlier that al-Qahtani had been subjected to a harsh interrogation authorized by former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.
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