Man with link to 9/11 mastermind sentenced
Treatment in brig factor in decision
PEORIA, Ill. - An Al Qaeda sleeper agent who admitted having contact with the alleged mastermind behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was sentenced to more than eight years in prison yesterday.
US District Judge Michael Mihm could have sentenced Ali al-Marri to as much as 15 years. He handed down the lighter sentence of eight years and four months, however, in consideration of what defense attorneys called harsh treatment during the almost six years Marri was held without charges in a US Navy brig.
The judge’s decision could have far-reaching consequences because the United States still holds more than 200 people without charge at Guantanamo Bay. If convicted, those detainees also could argue that their time in custody should be considered at sentencing.
Marri, a 44-year-old Qatar native, pleaded guilty in May to conspiring to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization. He also acknowledged having regular contact with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the man the government said was the mastermind behind the Sept. 11 attacks, and with Mustafa Ahmad al-Hawsawi, who allegedly helped the hijackers with money and Western-style clothing.
He wept through his 10-minute testimony yesterday, telling Mihm he was sorry he ever helped the terrorist organization and glad his actions never led to any harm.
Mihm told Marri he didn’t believe he’d renounced Al Qaeda and thought he was likely to attack the United States if given the chance. But he also said Marri deserved credit for the time he’d spent in isolation in the Navy brig in South Carolina. While Mihm couldn’t directly credit Marri for that time, he had the option of giving him a lighter sentence.
