Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday on charges of conspiring to kill Americans in his role as spokesman for al-Qaida.
Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, a 48-year-old imam from Kuwait, was convicted of the charges in March. He was the voice in widely circulated recruitment tapes for al-Qaida that were released after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Abu Ghaith was the highest-ranking al-Qaida member to face trial on U.S. soil since the planes hit the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers.
The Associated Press reported the judge’s decision, which was issued in a New York federal court on Tuesday morning.
“This sentencing reminds the world that the United States will continue to capture and punish our enemies,” Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein said following the ruling.
Abu Ghaith testified that his role in the attacks was religious. His attorney requested the judge impose a 15-year sentence, and the prosecution called for life in prison. Since Sept. 11, the U.S. Department of Justice has followed through with 500 terrorism-related convictions. A team of U.S. Navy SEALs raided bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan and killed him on May 2, 2011.
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