Jury selection commenced Monday in the long-stalled military commission trial of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the alleged mastermind behind the 2000 suicide bombing of the USS Cole that killed 17 American sailors.
Nashiri, a Saudi national captured in Dubai in 2002, endured years of harsh interrogation at a covert CIA facility before his transfer to the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay two decades ago. Ronald Flesvig, spokesperson for the Office of Military Commissions, confirmed that panel selection got underway Monday afternoon.
The October 2000 attack occurred when two operatives detonated an explosives-laden skiff alongside the guided-missile destroyer as it refueled in the Yemeni port of Aden. Charged in April 2011 with murder in violation of the law of war, terrorism, and other capital offenses, Nashiri’s case has languished in pre-trial litigation for years.
Proceedings have been heavily shaped by allegations of detainee abuse. Defense counsel unsuccessfully argued that Nashiri was incompetent to stand trial due to trauma sustained during CIA custody. A 2014 Senate report documented his subjection to “enhanced interrogation techniques” on at least four occasions, including a December 2002 session in which a CIA officer blindfolded him, placed a pistol near his head, and operated a cordless drill close to his body. An internal CIA investigation further found the officer slapped Nashiri repeatedly, blew cigar smoke in his face, and threatened sexual violence against his mother. Improvised stress positions caused cuts, bruises, and risk of shoulder dislocation, prompting medical intervention.
Nashiri has also alleged mistreatment at Guantanamo, citing forced shackling and guard abuse. In August 2023, a military judge ruled that his confession was tainted by years of CIA and FBI coercion and ruled it inadmissible as evidence.
Located 430 miles southeast of Miami on Cuba’s southeastern coast, Guantanamo Bay has held detainees seized in post-9/11 operations since 2002. The facility has drawn sustained condemnation from human rights organizations and United Nations experts, who have described it as a site of “unparalleled notoriety.” The Trump administration additionally utilized the base as a holding center for migrants slated for deportation.
