Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; December 23rd, 2025
A notice issued quietly, procedural in tone but heavy with history, set the stage for the next movement in a case that has unfolded across decades. The U.S. Department of War announced a media invitation for an upcoming pre-trial hearing in United States v. Khalid Shaikh Mohammad et al., extending formal access to accredited members of the press under the rules governing military commission proceedings.
The advisory outlines arrangements for media representatives seeking to observe the hearing, which will take place at the military commissions facility at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. The Department of War stated that attendance is subject to established accreditation requirements and logistical coordination, reflecting the controlled environment in which the commissions operate.
The case, United States v. Khalid Shaikh Mohammad et al., remains among the most consequential proceedings within the military commission system. The advisory does not address the substance of arguments to be raised during the hearing, nor does it characterize anticipated rulings. Its purpose is narrower and deliberate: to notify the media of access procedures and reaffirm the framework under which transparency is provided.
According to the Department of War, media attendance at commission hearings follows a structured process designed to balance public observation with security and legal safeguards. Journalists who receive approval are permitted to observe proceedings through established channels, including delayed audio feeds where applicable, in accordance with commission rules.
The advisory situates the hearing within the continuing pre-trial phase of the case. Pre-trial hearings address motions, evidentiary matters, and procedural questions, forming the groundwork upon which any future trial proceedings depend. The Department’s notice makes no statement about timelines beyond the scheduled hearing itself, underscoring the incremental nature of the process.
Guantanamo Bay, long associated with the detention and prosecution of individuals charged under the military commission system, remains the physical and legal setting for the case. The Department of War’s advisory reflects the ongoing operation of that system as governed by statute, regulation, and commission rules.
By issuing a media invitation, the Department documented another procedural step in a case marked less by sudden turns than by accumulation: filings entered, hearings scheduled, records preserved. Each advisory adds a line to the public record, not as commentary, but as notice that the machinery of law continues to move.
The hearing will proceed as scheduled under military commission authority, with media access granted according to the terms set out in the advisory. Beyond that, the Department of War’s notice offers no narrative and no conclusion, only the confirmation that the process advances, one hearing at a time.
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Sources
Primary First-Hand Sources
- U.S. DEPARTMENT OF WAR, official advisory announcing media access for the pre-trial hearing in United States v. Khalid Shaikh Mohammad et al., December 2025
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