Well-Known Terrorist Suspects to Be Charged, U.S. Says

The Defense Department plans to charge nine more detainees with terrorism-related crimes in the next two months, including suspects with names that “the American people will recognize,” a chief prosecutor said Friday.

Army Col. Robert Swann -- head prosecutor for the military commission system put in place to try detainees -- would not say which suspects would be added to the list of 15 at Guantanamo declared eligible to stand trial.

But by declaring that the names would be familiar ones, prosecutors raised the prospect that the government soon could charge “high value” figures such as Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the alleged planner of the Sept. 11 attacks, or Ramzi Binalshibh, the Yemeni who allegedly was his accomplice.

Other possibilities include terrorist suspects known to be held by U.S. officials or allies, including Abu Zubeida, who was linked to a plot by a group of Algerians to bomb Los Angeles International Airport in December 1999, and Tawfiq Attash Khallad, the alleged ringleader of the bombing of the U.S. destroyer Cole in October 2000.

“The American people will recognize the names of the individuals,” Swann told reporters at the U.S. Naval base here.

U.S. officials have held and questioned Mohammed and Binalshibh for more than a year at an undisclosed location but have not charged the men.

Putting them on trial probably would end their usefulness for intelligence purposes. On the other hand, the military commission system provides for a death penalty, which could be used to induce detainees to talk.

Talk of a potential new round of charges came as a fourth detainee briefly faced the military commission in its opening week of deliberations.

Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmoud al Qosi of Sudan, accused of being a longtime associate and paymaster for Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, postponed his plea on charges of murder, conspiracy to attack civilians, terrorism and destruction of property.

A military lawyer asked for additional help and time to prepare for Qosi’s Dec. 7 trial date.

Among other activities, Qosi is accused of signing checks on behalf of Bin Laden, exchanging money on the black market and couriering money on behalf of Al Qaeda.

Sitting expressionless in a gray sleeveless shirt, skullcap, chinos and slip-on sneakers provided by the Defense Department, Qosi spoke only when asked if he wanted to keep his appointed military attorney, Air Force Lt. Col. Sharon Shaffer.

He answered that he wanted both Shaffer and the assistant she has sought since February.

Shaffer, who suspended her work on the case for the summer after she was appointed to a new post as a military judge, had planned on dropping the case to avoid any conflict with her subsequent role.

But the government put her back on the case Tuesday and postponed her new duties.

Like many of the six military defense attorneys who took up their first cases this week, Shaffer -- who sat alone with Qosi as she faced three young prosecutors -- complained that she had not been given the resources she needed.

Nevertheless, she said, “I think I will be able to mount a tornadic, zealous defense.”