Judge at Guantanamo mulls pause in 9/11 caseSeptember 16, 2013 - 16:35 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A judge at Guantanamo Bay is considering whether to put preparations for the Sept 11 trial on hold because of problems with a Pentagon computer system used by lawyers in the case, the Associated Press reports. Defense lawyers say they have lost data and have doubts about the security of their email. The lawyers for the five prisoners charged with planning and aiding the attacks have asked the government to create a new, secure system. That could take at least three months and cost millions of dollars. The judge is hearing testimony on the issue Monday at the U.S. base in Cuba. This is the sixth session of pretrial hearings in the case since the five men charged in the attacks were arraigned in May 2012. No trial date has been set. In an audio recording posted on the Internet in July, al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri slammed U.S. treatment of hunger striking inmates at Guantanamo Bay and said the group would spare no effort to free them. "The (hunger) strike by our brothers at Guantanamo unmasks the true ugly face of (the United States of) America," Zawahri said in an audio recording posted on an Islamist website and whose authenticity could not be verified. "We pledge to God that we will spare no effort to free all our prisoners, on top of whom are Omar Abdel Rahman, Aafia Siddiqui, Khaled Sheikh Mohammed and every oppressed Muslim everywhere ...," he added, referring to prominent Islamist militants held by the United States. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | International cybercrime ringleaders arrested in Armenia, Ukraine Europol, Europe's crime agency, has arrested four ringleaders of several cybercrime networks that used botnets. Armenia skips CSTO Defense Ministers meeting A meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization countries began in Almaty. Armenian, Iranian foreigh policy chief talk over the phone The Foreign Minister of Armenia once again expressed condolences to his counterpart on the death of the President of Iran. Armenia, U.S. customs authorities to boost assistance with new deal The government has approved an agreement with the U.S. government on mutual assistance between the customs authorities. |