Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky
All Gov
July 20, 2012
All statements made by the five Guantánamo prisoners accused of plotting the September 11, 2001, attacks have been classified by the Obama administration, prompting legal challenges from civil libertarians and news organizations.
The order, made in April at the beginning of the military trials of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others, applies to anything they have said, either in court or in private with their attorneys.
According to the order, “Because the Accused were detained and interrogated in the CIA program, they were exposed to classified sources, methods, and activities. Due to their exposure to classified information, the Accused are in a position to reveal this information publicly through their statements. Consequently, any and all statements by the Accused are presumptively classified until a classification review can be completed.”
In other words, if the statements are not classified, the Obama administration claims, the Central Intelligence Agency’s detention and interrogation efforts might be revealed.
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