Story perspectives

Judge Sets 9/11 Trial for 2028 at Guantánamo

8/28/2026

Summary

Schrama Sets Trial

U.S. military judge Lt. Col. Michael Schrama set the trial for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and co-defendants on June 5, 2028.
The case will be heard before a military commission at the U.S. naval base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
Schrama rejected prosecutors’ Jan 2027 start because pre-trial evidentiary and compliance motions needed more time.
Defense lawyers say statements obtained via CIA enhanced interrogation, including 183 waterboardings, should be suppressed.

Summary

Sinwar Killed

The September 11 attacks launched two decades of U.S.-led wars in Afghanistan and the broader Middle East worldwide.
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in Gaza in the Gaza Strip and never faced a court, unlike the 9/11 defendants.
Many Israelis view the October 7 attack as deeply emotionally comparable to Americans’ memory of September 11.

Summary

9/11 Responders Dying

Federal health programs report thousands of 9/11 responders dying from illnesses, with about 1,000 new cases each month.
Guantanamo’s detainee count peaked at roughly 800.
Only a small fraction of Guantanamo detainees remains after transfers.
The United States uses Guantanamo to keep defendants from claiming rights under U.S. law.
The ongoing ‘War on Terror’ still leaves a handful of detainees at Guantanamo despite mass transfers.

History

Historical Context

The Supreme Court’s 5-3 ruling in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld on June 29 2006 declared Bush-appointed Guantanamo commissions illegal under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the Geneva Conventions. Congress responded by signing the Military Commissions Act on October 17 2006, creating statutory authority for the tribunals. That framework now governs Lt. Col. Michael Schrama’s 2028 scheduling of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s trial.

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Schrama Sets Trial

U.S. military judge Lt. Col. Michael Schrama set the trial for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and co-defendants on June 5, 2028.
The case will be heard before a military commission at the U.S. naval base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
Schrama rejected prosecutors’ Jan 2027 start because pre-trial evidentiary and compliance motions needed more time.
Defense lawyers say statements obtained via CIA enhanced interrogation, including 183 waterboardings, should be suppressed.

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