Mohammed's Words Gives Look Into His Mind

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged Sept. 11 mastermind, is seen shortly after his capture during a raid in Pakistan Saturday March 1, 2003 in this photo obtained by the Associated Press. Mohammed confessed to that attack and a string of others during a military hearing at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, according to a transcript released Wednesday March 14, 2007 by the Pentagon. (AP Photo) (AP)

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Wearing an orange jumpsuit and with his hands chained, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed quoted from the Quran and cited George Washington as he attempted to justify the horrors of 9/11 _ providing the first glimpse into the mind of the alleged architect of the attacks.

Mohammed's statements during a hearing at Guantanamo Bay, in which he confessed to planning 31 terrorist attacks, also raise questions about the effect that years of rough CIA interrogations may have had and whether his confession is valid.

"As a result of torture, KSM himself falsely implicated various other people who he says are innocent," said Clive Stafford Smith, an attorney for several other Guantanamo detainees. He cited Mohammed's statements, which did not name names.

In a censored transcript of Saturday's hearing issued late Wednesday by the Pentagon, the tribunal president noted that Mohammed complained that he had been tortured by the CIA, and asked if he made statements because of the torture. Mohammed, who was transferred to Guantanamo from CIA custody in September, responded, "I cannot remember now," but the rest of his sentence and other remarks on that point were censored by the military.

Later in the encounter, Mohammed said he and other prisoners had made false statements during interrogation, apparently under torture. He submitted a written statement about how he allegedly was tortured, but the military refused to divulge it. Human Rights Watch on Thursday urged its release.

"It is a glaring misuse of the classification power for the government to classify information simply because it might be embarrassing or unlawful," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. "Mohammed's claims of torture should be investigated rather than concealed."

CIA spokesman Paul Gimigliano denied the torture allegations. "The United States does not conduct or condone torture," he said.

Two psychiatrists, in interviews with The Associated Press, said Mohammed's admissions on Saturday do not appear to be the result of torture but might be exaggerated for tactical reasons, as part of his continued fight against the United States.

The three-member U.S. military panel _ their names were censored _ aims to determine whether Mohammed is an enemy combatant and should continue to be held at the military prison in Cuba. Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England, who has the ultimate say on the matter, is expected to make a decision within days.

Military guards brought Mohammed, dressed in the orange jumpsuit reserved for noncompliant prisoners, into the hearing room in a doublewide trailer inside the prison complex at Guantanamo Bay, then left. Only those with the proper security clearance can be present when the detainee speaks. The guards left Mohammed in handcuffs and sitting on a chair, his feet connected by a chain to the floor.

Mohammed is now much slimmer than the chubby man who was captured in 2003, according to an official who insisted on anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter.

According to the transcript, Mohammed cited a verse from the Quran that said Allah forbids Muslims to become friendly with those who fight them because of their faith. He also said many Muslims view Osama bin Laden as a heroic figure like George Washington.