Army Brig. Gen. Mark Martins, Guantánamo's chief prosecutor, addresses the media on Oct. 19, 2012, at the end of a week of pretrial hearings for the five alleged architects of the 9/11 attacks. Martins announced his retirement this week.
Less than two months before the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, the chief prosecutor of the alleged 9/11 conspirators announced his surprise retirement Thursday, making a trial in the case appear increasingly unlikely.
The retirement of Army Brig. Gen. Mark Martins after a decade in the job was disclosed in a message to the families of the nearly 3,000 people killed on 9/11. Martins had previously repeatedly delayed his retirement and was scheduled to remain in his position until 2023. No clear reason was given for his early exit.