The George W. Bush Administration’s Lesson for the Trump Era
The article discusses the legal failures surrounding the prosecution of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, specifically noting that his confession was thrown out due to the use of torture. It argues that the Bush administration's reliance on 'enhanced interrogation' has ultimately hindered the pursuit of justice.
Why it matters
It serves as a critique of government overreach and the long-term negative consequences of compromising legal standards in the name of national security.
They circumvented the law to persecute alleged Sept 11 perpetrators. It backfired.
Susan Meiselas / Magnum September 10, 2026, 1:56 PM ET Share Save Prosecutors trying to finally convict Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the September 11 attacks, got some good news and some bad news last month. The good news is that a judge set a date for Mohammed’s trial in a military court. The bad news is that the trial won’t begin until June 2028—oh, and the judge also threw out a confession Mohammed made in 2007.
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