Center for Investigative Reporting

Tomorrow, five men accused of planning the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people on 9/11 will be arraigned in a military courtroom at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba. The high-profile case will shine an international spotlight on a “war court” system that, despite legal reforms, is derided as inherently unjust by critics and lauded by proponents as the most secure, efficient forum to try detainees suspected of terrorism. A trial could offer an intimate look at the events leading up to the 2001 terrorist attacks and also could raise the issues of torture and inmate abuse that became synonymous with the infamous prison.

We break down how the Guantanamo ‘war court’ will differ from the federal system. Check out our Explainer for more.

Image: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is shown in this file photograph during his arrest March 1, 2003. The accused 9/11 mastermind and four suspected co-conspirators are facing trial in a Guantanamo war crimes tribunal on charges that could carry the death penalty. Credit: Courtesy of U.S. News & World Report/Reuters

The threats of terrorism and spillover violence from the Mexican drug war are largely overblown, according to a new report.

The report [PDF] found that those threats have led to an increased enforcement presence and a confusing patchwork of federal agencies responsible for border security. The buildup has pushed migrants into more dangerous travel routes, but has done little to reduce drug trafficking, according to the report.

And despite fears that terrorists could use the southern border as a gateway to the U.S., no member of any group on the State Department’s Foreign Terrorist Organizations list has attempted to enter the country via Mexico, the report said. Read more.

Image: A U.S. Army National Guard soldier watches the U.S.-Mexico border near Nogales, Ariz. via Jim Greenhill/Flickr