The first Guantanamo Bay detainee to have a U.S. civilian trial was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday for his role in the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan called it a day of justice for Ahmed Ghailani as well as for the families of 224 people who died in the al-Qaida bombings, including a dozen Americans. Thousands more who were injured in the two attacks.
"The offense was horrific," Judge Kaplan said. "I am not persuaded that Mr. Ghailani is the harmless and innocent person as presented - not at all," he said.
The judge also fined Ghailani $32 million. Ghailani declined the opportunity to address the court when asked and stood for sentence.
