Politics
Military judge in 9/11 trial suppresses confession and delays proceedings to 2028
Lt. Col. Michael Schrama threw out Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's 2007 confession and scheduled trial for June 2028, drawing renewed attention to a 2023 essay he authored on military extremism.
The short version
- Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Schrama invalidated the 2007 confession of alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, ruling that it was not given voluntarily.
- Schrama rejected prosecution requests to start the trial in January 2027, setting a new trial date for June 2028.
- The ruling has brought renewed public attention to a 2023 essay Schrama published about domestic extremism in the U.S. military ranks.
Key facts
- Lt. Col. Michael Schrama threw out Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's 2007 confession on the grounds that it was involuntary.[Fox News]
- Schrama rejected a request by prosecutors to begin the trial in January 2027, scheduling it instead for June 2028.[Fox News]
- Schrama was assigned to preside over the 9/11 military commission case in 2025, becoming the fifth judge appointed to the case.[Fox News]
- In a 2023 War on the Rocks essay, Schrama argued that conservative tendencies and isolation from civilian society made service members susceptible to right-wing extremist recruitment.[Fox News]
- White House senior advisor Stephen Mueller criticized the ruling and the judicial system, while a spokesperson for the Military Commissions Convening Authority declined to comment.[Fox News]
What remains uncertain
- It remains unclear whether military prosecutors plan to appeal the judge's ruling suppressing the confession.[Fox News]