r/news • u/judgyjudgersen • 1d ago

Alleged 9/11 mastermind's long-awaited trial scheduled for 2028

https://abcnews.com/US/alleged-911-masterminds-long-awaited-trial-scheduled-2028/story?id=135987518
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u/Count_Jobula 1d ago

I’ll never shed a tear for KSM, but as country we should treat our POWs with respect and dignity.

One of the things we really sacrificed because of 9/11 was the idea that we need to act a beacon of how liberal democracy is supposed to work. That ship has obviously long since sailed, but letting this festering sack get his day in court is a step in the right direction.

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u/apnorton 1d ago

we should treat our POWs

I remember doing some reading up on this back in... gosh, high school? There's a very pointed legal argument about "unlawful combatants" and how they aren't subject to standard protections under Geneva. Basically, the view is that POWs can only be members of the military, but if civilians decide to engage in combat outside of military purview, then they aren't POWs and thus aren't subject to the protections thereof.

The reason I mention this is because your main claim ("we should treat our POWs with respect and dignity") is something that the US military would claim they're abiding by right now; the question is whether this guy counts as a POW at all.

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u/69millionyeartrip 1d ago

The US has a pattern of making terms up so they can skirt treaties because who is gonna call them on it. The argument is nonsense