The first Guantanamo Bay detainee to be brought to the United States for trial pleaded not guilty this afternoon in two embassy bombings during an appearance in Manhattan federal court.
Ahmed Ghailani, 24, entered the plea after he was brought to this country under heavy guard earlier in the day.
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The feds said Ghailani participated in the bombing of two US embassies in Africa in August 1998.
The bombings killed more than 224 people, including 12 Americans.
The feds said he helped build one of the bombs.
The US response to the 9/11 terror attacks — including the opening of the Guantanamo detention center — could complicate Ghailani’s case, as defense lawyers are likely to mount legal challenges based on the circumstances of his 2004 capture and treatment over the past few years.
Justice Department officials would not say what would be done with Ghailani if he were acquitted.
In past cases, a non-citizen defendant found not guilty would be turned over to immigration authorities for deportation.