{
  "id": 16136849,
  "title": "Lawyer questions Al Qaida suspect's competence before USS Cole bombing trial",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/lawyer-questions-al-qaida-suspects-competence-before-uss-cole-bombing",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-23T00:16:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/world/americas/lawyer-questions-al-qaida-suspects-competence-before-uss-cole-bombing-trial-1.500712445"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A lawyer representing Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, a suspect in the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, has requested the military court to assess his competency for trial. The defendant claims to have suffered a traumatic brain injury from torture while in CIA custody. A trial for Nashiri, who faces the death penalty, was scheduled to begin this month at a US Navy base in Cuba, but has now been postponed until October 26. Nashiri was captured in 2002 and endured various forms of abuse, including waterboarding and solitary confinement. A defense psychiatrist concluded that Nashiri suffers from a severe neurocognitive disorder, complex PTSD, and major depression, making him unable to comprehend the proceedings or assist his legal counsel. The military judge had ordered a competency evaluation, but failed to allocate sufficient time for a meaningful hearing. The proceedings are expected to last at least six months and have been plagued by delays and legal challenges concerning the admissibility of evidence obtained during torture-aided interrogations.",
  "summary": "Lawyer questions al-Qaida suspect's competence before USS Cole bombing trial",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}