9/11 Victim's Spouse Goes to Gitmo to Save Plotters' Lives

The husband of a 9/11 victim opposes the death penalty in all cases—and he went to Guantanamo to fight for his beliefs. Blake Allison won one of 10 slots in a 9/11 mourners' lottery, allowing him to visit the island for the arraignment of admitted mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed. During his visit, he secretly met with defense lawyers and said he was willing to testify against the death penalty in the military tribunal. "We can’t kill our way to a peaceful tomorrow," Allison tells the New York Post.

"The public needs to know there are family members out there who do not hold the view that these men should be put to death," though Allison does believe they should be "brought to account for their crimes." His death penalty stance stems from his Episcopal faith, he says. "For me, opposition to the death penalty is not situational. Just because I was hurt very badly and personally does not, in my mind, give me the go-ahead to take a life.” Allison earlier testified against the punishment for "20th hijacker" Zacarias Moussaoui. His 48-year-old wife, Anna, was aboard American Airlines Flight 11, which crashed into World Trade Center Tower 1. (More 9/11 attacks stories.)