A U.S. government assessment has concluded that alleged al-Qaeda operative Aafia Siddiqui is not mentally competent to stand trial, a judge wrote in a court order issued yesterday (see GSN, Sept. 3).
Siddiqui was detained by Afghan police in July while allegedly carrying a paper that stated "Mass Casualty Attack" and identified several notable locations in New York, ABC News reported. A previous ABC News report indicated that Siddiqui was carrying information on biological, chemical and radiological weapons at the time of her arrest.
The former MIT student was transported to New York in August and charged with the attempted murder of interrogators during an exchange of gunfire.
Federal mental health examiners concluded in a Nov. 6 forensic assessment: "Ms. Siddiqui is not currently competent to proceed as a result of her mental disease, which renders her unable to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings against her or to assist properly in her defense."
The court order quotes the confidential assessment and requests a hearing tomorrow to consider how to proceed with the case (Jason Ryan, ABC News, Nov. 17).