THE INDEPENDENT: Osama bin Laden threatened al-Qa'ida would kill any Americans it takes prisoner if accused September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is executed, according to an audiotape aired on al Jazeera today.
Senior US officials may recommend that Mohammed, who was being held at the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, be prosecuted in a military trial, officials said in March.
Such a decision, after intense political pressure, would reverse plans to hold criminal trials for Mohammed and four accused co-conspirators in a lower Manhattan court.
"This message is about our prisoners who you are holding," bin Laden said in the tape, complaining that US President Barack Obama was still following "his predecessor's steps" on many issues including on al-Qa'ida detainees such as Mohammed.
"The White House has expressed its desire to execute him. When America makes this decision, it will have made a decision to execute whoever of you is held prisoner by us," bin Laden said in the recording.
There was no immediate comment from Washington. >>> Reuters | Thursday, March 25, 2010
WELT ONLINE: Osama Bin Laden will amerikanische Gefangene töten, falls der mutmaßliche Drahtzieher des 11. September, Khalid Scheich Mohammed, von einem US-Gericht zum Tode verurteilt werden sollte. Bin Laden warf US-Präsident Barack Obama vor, „dieselbe Politik wie seine Vorgänger" zu betreiben.
Der Extremistenführer Osama Bin Laden hat nach Angaben des arabischen Senders al-Dschasira mit der Tötung von US-Geiseln gedroht, sollten die Angeklagten im Prozess um die Terroranschläge vom 11. September 2001 hingerichtet werden. >>> AFP/dpa/fas | Dienstag, 25. März 2010
