Judge excludes 9/11 mastermind's confessions from trial

A military judge on Friday excluded key confessions by alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed from his upcoming trial, ruling they were not given voluntarily. The decision, issued by Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Schrama, deals a significant blow to prosecutors in the long-delayed case against Mohammed and three co-defendants. The ruling comes just days after the same judge set a trial date of June 5, 2028, at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In his 45-page decision, Judge Schrama found that statements Mohammed made to FBI agents during interrogations in 2007 were inadmissible. The judge concluded that the prosecution failed to prove the confessions were voluntary, citing an "unbroken continuation of the CIA's psychological conditioning and severe coercion" from Mohammed's prior detention. Schrama also determined that FBI agents intentionally failed to inform Mohammed of his right to remain silent and to consult an attorney. The ruling specifically addresses the 2007 FBI interrogations, which followed Mohammed's transfer to Guantanamo Bay in 2006 after years in CIA custody where he was subjected to waterboarding and other harsh techniques.