Accused September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four co-conspirators were ordered to stand trial before a Guantanamo war crimes tribunal, the Pentagon said, Reuters reported.

9/11 suspect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed [File photo]

Convictions on the most serious charges, which include terrorism, hijacking, conspiracy and murder, could carry the death penalty.

The trial stands to be double-edged for President Barack Obama, who is running for a second term in November. It will remind voters about the killing of long-fugitive al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden last year. But it could also draw attention to his failure to close the Guantanamo Bay prison, which he had promised to do as a candidate in the 2008 election.

Related

• US charges five 9/11 terrorist suspects
• 9/11 'Survivor Tree' blossoms at start of spring

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)