Securing America: USS Cole Bomber Hearing

Despite the threat of Hurricane Sandy, a pretrial hearing is being held today at Guantanamo Bay for the man accused of planning the attack on the U.S.S. Cole.

FOX News Radio’s Joy Piazza reports in our ongoing series on national security:

Securing America.

A dispute over whether Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri had to physically be there could have delayed all the sessions of the pretrial hearing at Guantanamo Bay.  al-Nashiri is accused of masterminding the U.S.S. Cole attack, 12 years ago.  A judge ruled he could waive his right not to be in court, but…

(Lt. Col. Breasseale) “First, Mr. Nashiri must be informed of his right in the presence of the commission, that’s the first thing.  Secondly, he may then waive that right and petition directly to the commission.”

…Lt. Col. Todd Breasseale with the Department of Defense.  al-Nashiri is protesting the use of chains used to move him from this cell.  The defense says the use of force to move him could traumatize him, claiming he was brutalized in U.S. custody before being taken to Gitmo in 2006.

Joy Piazza, FOX News Radio.