The verdict capped a 10-month trial on the Islamic State rampage of November 2015 that killed 130 people, traumatized the country and still shapes French politics.
Tag Archives: Al Qaeda
The Casualties at the Other End of the Remote-Controlled Kill
Capt. Kevin Larson was one of the best drone pilots in the U.S. Air Force. Yet as the job weighed on him and untold others, the military failed to recognize its full impact. He fled into the California wilderness.
Rival Sept. 11 Victims Near Potential Deal to Divide Afghan Central Bank Assets
But another group opposes it. A court has not yet decided whether $3.5 billion in Afghan central bank funds can be used to pay Taliban debts.
The 9/11 Trial: Why Are Plea Bargain Talks Underway?
New leadership, an ever receding trial date and pressure to disclose more information about the C.I.A. torture of the accused plotters all contribute.
Sept. 11 Prosecutors Are in Plea Talks That Could Avert a Death-Penalty Trial
Pentagon prosecutors have struggled for more than a decade to hold the trial of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and his accused accomplices in the attacks.
Panel Approves Transfer of Saudi Engineer From Guantánamo Bay
The decision means that a majority of detainees at the wartime prison are cleared for transfer if U.S. diplomats can forge security deals with countries to receive them
Leader’s Death Is Another Blow for ISIS, but It’s Hardly the End
The Islamic State is a shadow of its former self. But it’s likely to keep adapting and enduring, even after the U.S. raid that killed its top commander.
Mentally Ill Detainee, Suspected of Planned Role in 9/11, Set for Transfer
A parole-like board for prisoners at Guantánamo Bay recommended repatriating the Saudi man, whom the military tortured and so could not be put on trial.
Reports of Civilian Casualties as U.S. Raid in Syria Appears to Target Qaeda Leader
Helicopter-borne Special Operations troops carried out the risky predawn commando assault.
Biden Administration Rejects Use of Testimony Obtained From Torture in Guantánamo Trial
The Justice Department rejected an interpretation by the retired chief prosecutor that lawyers could sometimes use statements obtained during C.I.A. interrogations.
Biden Administration Approves 5 More Guantánamo Releases
Nearly half of the last 39 detainees have now been approved for transfer, and the challenge for U.S. officials is to find countries to receive them.
20 Years Later, the Story Behind the Guantánamo Photo That Won’t Go Away
On Jan. 11, 2002, a sailor photographed 20 men in orange uniforms and on their knees, capturing one of the most damning post-9/11 images of U.S. detention policy.
What I’ve Learned as a Lawyer Representing Prisoners at Guantánamo
I’m a lawyer representing prisoners at Guantánamo. Morality is a choice.
No U.S. Troops Will Be Punished for Deadly Kabul Drone Strike
The military initially defended the August strike, which killed 10 civilians including seven children, in the days afterward, but ultimately called it a tragic mistake.
Upik Lawanga, Indonesian Militant, Is Sentenced to Life in Prison
A court said Upik Lawanga made bombs for an attack that killed 22 people at a market. He is a member of a terrorist group that bombed churches, hotels and a Bali nightclub in the 2000s.
More Sept. 11 Victims Who Sued the Taliban Want Frozen Afghan Funds
The Biden administration was set to tell a court on Friday what it thinks should happen, but obtained a delay until Jan. 28.
Explosion Outside School Kills 8 in Somalia’s Capital
The latest in a series of deadly attacks comes as the country is gripped by election instability and by a drought that threatens 2.6 million people.
Foreman Says Military Jury Was Disgusted by C.I.A. Torture
A Navy captain whose letter recommended clemency for a Qaeda terrorist drafted the damning two-page document in 20 minutes.
U.S. Military Jury Condemns Terrorist’s Torture and Urges Clemency
Seven senior officers rebuked the government’s treatment of an admitted terrorist in a handwritten letter from the jury room at Guantánamo Bay.
For First Time in Public, a Detainee Describes Torture at C.I.A. Black Sites
In a sentencing hearing, Majid Khan, a Pakistani who lived in suburban Baltimore before joining Al Qaeda, detailed dungeonlike conditions and episodes of abuse.
Iran Wanted U.S. Out of Afghanistan. It May Be Sorry the Wish Came True.
Iran is glad the Americans are gone, but the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan creates a host of problems for Tehran, with no easy solutions.
Taliban Honor Suicide Bombers’ ‘Sacrifices’ in Bid to Rewrite History
The new government brought together the bombers’ families at a publicized event, praising their actions but alienating those who have suffered at their hands.
Detention of an Afghan at Guantánamo Bay Is Ruled Unlawful
The decision does not assure the release of the prisoner, who was captured in 2007; Uyghurs who won a similar case languished at the prison for years.
Two More Guantánamo Detainees Are Approved for Release
A board has now backed the release of 12 out of the 39 men remaining at the prison, but U.S. diplomats must first reach security agreements with destination countries.
Biden Declared the War Over. But Wars Go On.
The president’s assertion after the withdrawal from Afghanistan that the United States is not at war for the first time in 20 years ignored continued smaller-scale conflicts.
A Botched Drone Strike in Kabul Started With the Wrong Car
An errant strike that killed 10 civilians has called into question the reliability of the intelligence that will be used to conduct future U.S. operations in Afghanistan.
Al Qaeda Could Rebuild in Afghanistan in 1-2 Years, U.S. Officials Say
The new timeline is not a radical shift from previous assessments, but reflects the reality that the Taliban has a limited ability to control the borders of Afghanistan.
F.B.I. Releases Newly Declassified Document Related to Sept. 11 Attacks
Families of the Sept. 11 victims have long pushed for a deeper investigation into any possible role the Saudi government had in the attacks, but the document offered no conclusive evidence.
A Time Capsule in Two Front Pages
The newspaper of Sept. 11, 2001, is a document of America before the terror attacks and a memory of a vanished era.
Special Episode: What Does It Mean to ‘Never Forget’?
Twenty years after Sept. 11, a look at what we hold on to and what we choose to let go.
20 Years On, the War on Terror Grinds Along With No End in Sight
Yet, the failures in Iraq and Afghanistan obscure the striking success of a multilateral effort that extends to as many as 85 countries.
How 9/11 Damaged America
Sept. 11 damaged America more than we realized 20 years ago.
Biden Moves to Declassify Some Documents Related to Sept. 11
In an executive order, the president instructed Attorney General Merrick B. Garland to publicly release the declassified documents over the next six months.
U.S. Wrestles With Taliban Sanctions as Afghan Crisis Looms
The Biden administration must balance maintaining pressure and letting humanitarian aid flow.
Will the World Formally Recognize the Taliban?
The extremist group back in charge of Afghanistan has been a pariah to much of the world for its legacy of brutality, and the prospects for greater acceptance remain unclear.
Three Guantánamo Detainees Charged in 2002 Bali Bombing
The men were brought to court for the first time 18 years after their capture and after a one-day delay because of translation challenges at the war court.
Why Biden Didn’t See the ISIS-K Threat Until Too Late
Twenty years later, the terrorism threat from Afghanistan hasn’t faded. And militant competition from ISIS-K has merely increased the stakes.Â
The New U.S. Challenge in Afghanistan: Coping With Taliban Rule
Its longtime enemy now a fact of life, Washington must choose when to shun or tolerate the group, with all the wrenching trade-offs each policy choice brings.
How Will The US Cope With Taliban Rule?
Its longtime enemy now a fact of life, Washington must choose when to shun or tolerate the group, with all the wrenching trade-offs each policy choice brings.
Biden Didn’t See the ISIS-K Threat in Afghanistan Until Too Late
Twenty years later, the terrorism threat from Afghanistan hasn’t faded. And militant competition from ISIS-K has merely increased the stakes.Â
In Afghanistan, an Unceremonious End, and a Shrouded Beginning
The last American flight from Afghanistan left behind a host of unfulfilled promises and anxious questions about the country’s fate.
Afghanistan Collapse and Strikes in Somalia Raise Snags for Drone Warfare Rules
But the Biden administration is close to finishing a new playbook for counterterrorism strikes outside conventional war zones.
This Is How Theocracy Shrivels
Radical ideas that once made Islamist extremism seem galvanizing have lost their luster.
What Is ISIS-K, the Islamic State Khorasan?
Founded in 2015, the Afghan splinter group from ISIS counts as its foes U.S. forces and the Taliban.
Amid Afghan Chaos, a C.I.A. Mission That Will Persist for Years
The spy agency had plans to de-emphasize counterterrorism operations to focus on rising global powers. History got in the way.
After Decades of War in Afghanistan, ISIS and Al Qaeda Can Still Wreak Havoc
The U.S. and its allies waged war for 20 years to try to defeat terrorists in Afghanistan. A double-suicide bombing demonstrated that they remain a threat.
The Real Winner of the Afghan War? It’s Not Who You Think.
Pakistan, nominally a U.S. partner in the war, was the Afghan Taliban’s main patron, and sees the Taliban’s victory as its own. But now what does it do with its prize?
Israel’s Spy Agency Snubbed the U.S. Can Trust Be Restored?
Israel’s new prime minister, Naftali Bennett, heads to Washington promising better relations and seeking support for covert attacks on Iran’s nuclear program.
ISIS Branch Poses Biggest Immediate Terror Threat to Evacuation in Kabul
An Islamic State affiliate that is a sworn enemy of both the Taliban and the United States threatens a large-scale attack against the mission at the airport.
Did the War in Afghanistan Have to Happen?
In 2001, when the Taliban were weak and ready to surrender, the U.S. passed on a deal. Nearly 20 years later, the Taliban hold all the cards.