Pentagon says Guantanamo court interpreter worked for CIA, denies claims of monitoring

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba – Defendants in the Sept. 11 war crimes case may have been correct when they said they recognized a new courtroom interpreter from a CIA "black site" where they were subjected to harsh interrogations.

The Pentagon says in a carefully worded statement that the interpreter worked for the CIA in the past.

Tuesday's statement does not go into details but notes that the prosecution had no role in appointing the interpreter to the defense team of defendant Ramzi Binalshibh. That was aimed at claims by lawyers that the interpreter may have been placed on the team to monitor them.

Binalshibh brought a hearing at the U.S. Navy base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to a halt Monday when he identified the interpreter.

A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Wednesday.