Blackout at Guantanamo hearing draws attention to restrictions at military commissions

This week, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four other defendants accused of planning the September 11 terrorist attacks are facing a pre-trial hearing at the Guantanamo Bay military commissions. At issue are a number of motions, including access to evidence and classified information and whether the torture of defendants while in US custody at CIA black sites can be part of the trial. The proceedings were interrupted at one point this week when the audio and video feed was suddenly blacked out after one of the defense attorneys began discussing the CIA black sites.

Reporter Jason Leopold was there and he joins us on the line from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where he’s been monitoring the hearing this week for Truthout.

You can follow Jason Leopold’s reporting from Guantanamo at truth-out.org.