Ghailani guilty of one charge for 1998 US embassy bombs

The first Guantanamo detainee tried in a US civilian court has been found guilty on just one out of 285 terror charges over the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Africa.

Tanzanian Ahmed Ghailani, 36, was found guilty of conspiracy to damage or destroy US property with explosives.

But he was cleared of many other counts including murder and murder conspiracy.

Ghailani faces a minimum of 20 years in prison. The verdict comes as the US weighs other civilian terror trials.

The BBC's Iain Mackenzie, in Washington, says the verdict in the Ghailani case will be seen as a huge blow to the Obama administration.

It hopes to try other Guantanamo detainees in civilian courts - including alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

Officials will now be considering how to proceed, but it could mean the controversial prison remains open for some time to come, our correspondent adds.

Witness barred

The attacks on US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya killed 224 people and were one of al-Qaeda's first international shows of strength.

Four accused co-conspirators were convicted over the bombings in 2001 and sentenced to life in prison.

According to the indictment, Ghailani helped buy the Nissan lorry, oxygen and acetylene tanks used to destroy the US embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and helped load boxes of explosives into the back of the lorry ahead of the bombing.

US investigators said Ghailani flew to Pakistan the night before the simultaneous bombings.

He was charged in the US in March 2001 but remained at large in Afghanistan and the Waziristan area of Pakistan, the US says. He was captured in July 2004 and transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2006.

Last year, the US stayed proceedings in a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay and transferred him to New York for the civilian trial.

Defence lawyers, meanwhile, argued Ghailani was only an errand boy who had been duped by al-Qaeda operatives, framed by contaminated evidence and knew nothing of the bomb plot.

After the verdict was announced on Wednesday night and the jury left the courtroom, the former Guantanamo Bay prisoner rubbed his face, smiled and hugged his lawyers. He will be sentenced on 25 January.

US Justice Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement: "We respect the jury's verdict and are pleased that Ahmed Ghailani now faces a minimum of 20 years in prison and a potential life sentence for his role in the embassy bombings."

During the trial, prosecutors suffered an early setback when federal Judge Lewis Kaplan in New York barred a key government witness from testifying, saying he had been named by Ghailani while the latter was "under duress".

Mr Ghailani was detained in Pakistan in 2004, taken to a secret CIA facility and then to Guantanamo Bay in 2006.

He was subject to what the government refers to as "enhanced interrogation" by the CIA. His lawyers say he was tortured.

Despite losing its key witness, the government was given broad latitude to refer to al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden throughout the trial.

Defence lawyer Peter Quijano welcomed the acquittals. He said the one conviction would be appealed, adding: "We still truly believe he is innocent of all these charges."

East African sympathy for Ghailani

Ahmed Ghailani's mother has expressed her relief at the news of her son's conviction on only one of the 286 charges that had been facing him.

Ahmed Ghailani, 36, was found guilty of conspiracy to damage or destroy US property with explosives over the August 1998 bombings of US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya.

Some 212 people were killed in Nairobi and an estimated 4,000 injured when a truck laden with explosives was detonated outside the US embassy.

At about the same time, a similar explosion took place at the US embassy in Dar es Salaam, killing 11 people and wounding 85 others. Among the dead were 12 Americans.

Bi-mkubwa Ghailani told the BBC that while she was not happy that her son would be jailed, she is at least relieved that he is unlikely to get a life sentence.

"First I was happy when I learnt that he would not get a death sentence," she said.

"Now they say he might not get a life sentence, which also makes me glad."

Mrs Ghailani also said she was convinced her son's lawyers would be able to successfully appeal against the sentence.

Ghailani's sentencing has, however, been downplayed in Tanzania, where many view him as a small player in the al-Qaeda network behind the twin bombings of the US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.

The delay in his conviction has also earned him sympathy from a section of the Tanzanian population.

Some say he deserved a shorter sentence after all the time he has spent in Guantanamo Bay. There are even others who want him back home.

"It's fine for them to sentence him, but let them bring him back to serve his sentence in Tanzania, he is a Tanzanian," said one Dar es Salaam resident, Mike Mande.

Isles picks Shein for president

CCM Zanzibar presidential candidate Dr Ali Mohamed Shein was on Monday declared the winner, scooping 179,809 votes against his closest rival, Mr Seif Sharif Hamad of CUF who got 175,338 votes.

Dr Shein’s victory is equal to 50.1 per cent of all the 364,924 votes cast while Mr Seif garnered 49.1 per cent.

Announcing the results here Monday night, the Chairman of the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC), Mr Khatib Mwinyichande, said his commission was satisfied with the conduct of the elections held on Sunday.

Mr Kassim Bakar Ally of Jahazi Asilia got 803 votes while Mr Said Soud Said of AFP registered 480 votes.

Other contestants and their votes in brackets were Mr Ambar Haji Khamis of NCCR Mageuzi (363), Haji Khamis Haji of NRA (525) and Juma Khatib Ali Khatib (497).

Conceding defeat, Mr Seif congratulated Dr Shein and promised to work with him in creating a new Zanzibar that will consider the interests of all Zanzibaris irrespective of their political affiliation.

He said he believed Dr Shein has therequired ability, experience and passion to lead Zanzibar and its people.

Mr Seif said he was certain that Dr Shein will use his wisdom and intelligence in leading the Isles and solidify the existing unity among the people. He congratulated the ZEC chairman and his director for the work well done.

He, however, singled out some minor irregularities that some officials in the commission had committed, which he claimed disrupted the electoral process. Dr Shein said he was looking forward to working with Mr Seif in the Government of National Unity (GNU) for the prosperity of the Zanzibaris.

“A good leader does not work alone but co-operates with others. I promise that I will need a word of wisdom from Maalim Seif”, said Dr Shein.

ZEC has asked leaders and supporters of all political parties to co -operate after the general elections to bring development to the two Islands,saying prudence and harmony is needed to promote the future prosperity of Zanzibar.