During the sentencing trial of Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi at Guantánamo Bay, war veterans and families of victims of insurgent attacks in Afghanistan testified to the physical and emotional toll of the early years of the U.S. invasion of the country. The jury heard heartbreaking stories of loss and trauma, giving a human face to the war crimes committed by Al Qaeda and Taliban insurgents.
One of the testimonies came from a U.S. Army veteran who was left blind by a sniper’s bullet in Afghanistan. Another came from a Florida father who lost his eldest son, a Green Beret, to a roadside charge. A former bomb squad member also shared his experience of two decades of trauma and anxiety from dismantling a car bomb that could have killed him.
Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi, a 63-year-old prisoner, sat silently alongside his lawyers as the jury heard the testimonies. In an 18-page written plea, Mr. Hadi admitted to serving as a commander of Al Qaeda and Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan, who committed classic war crimes, including using civilian cover for attacks.
The case sheds light on the early years of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, which was launched by an international coalition after the Sept. 11 attacks to hunt down Osama bin Laden and dismantle the Taliban. The war, America’s longest, ended in a withdrawal of U.S. forces in August 2021, 10 months before Mr. Hadi pleaded guilty.
One of the poignant testimonies came from Sgt. Douglas Van Tassel, a Canadian paratrooper, who testified to the loss of his compatriot, Cpl. Jamie B. Murphy, in a suicide bombing near Kabul in 2004. The testimonies highlighted the sacrifices made by soldiers and their families during the conflict in Afghanistan.
The trial is a rare one at the court, which typically focuses on terrorism cases like the Sept. 11 attacks. Mr. Hadi’s plea and the testimonies of the war veterans and families provide a glimpse into the human cost of war and the lasting impact it has on those who serve in the military and their loved ones.
As the trial continues, more testimonies are expected to shed light on the experiences of those affected by the conflict in Afghanistan. The stories shared in the courtroom serve as a reminder of the sacrifices made by individuals in the line of duty and the importance of seeking justice for those who have been affected by war crimes.