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Military hearing for accused mastermind behind USS Cole bombing

Posted at 8:00 AM, Jul 17, 2012
and last updated 2012-07-17 12:34:34-04

The accused mastermind behind the 2000 bombing of Norfolk-based USS Cole will appear at a military hearing in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

John Clodfelter - who lost his son, Kenneth, in the Cole attack - was in the courtroom when Al-Nashiri was first arraigned in November.

"He seemed cocky to me. When he first came in, he was waving his hands which to me was the same thing that those guys were doing who attacked the ship. When they came up to the ship, they were friendly, waving their hands and everything so it was almost like a repeat of what the bombers themselves did."

Al-Nashiri is accused in a series of war crimes - including 11 counts related to the Cole bombing. He faces the death pentalty.

"If we can prove that he is guilty, without reasonable doubt that he`s guilty, and they put him to death that`s fine."

Lou Gunn, who lost his son Cherone in the attack, along with dozens of other families and shipmates, have waited 12 years for answers - and the long journey to justice is just beginning.