Khalid Sheik Mohammed: 9-11 mastermind?

"I'll Believe It When We See Some Evidence" wrote Robert Fisk (The Independent March 3, 2003) regarding the capture of the alleged 9-11 "mastermind" Khalid Sheik Mohammed. A transcript of KSM's alleged confession, taken in secret and without cross-examination, is inconclusive.

Katharine Schrader of the Associated Press writes: "Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's claims that he was responsible for dozens of successful, foiled and imagined attacks in the past 15 years relies on a loose definition of the word 'responsible.' . . . They view the claims as at least in part a rallying cry to bolster his image and that of al-Qaida in the only venue Mohammed has left: a military courtroom from which the public is barred. . . . One official cautioned that many of Mohammed's claims during interrogation were 'white noise' - designed to send the U.S. on wild goose chases or to get him through the day's interrogation session.

"Mohammed said his statement was not made under duress. But Mohammed and human rights advocates have alleged that he was tortured, and legal experts say that could taint all his statements."