Here's something to take pride in: The very first Guantanamo Bay detainee to be brought to the United States to stand trial is now a temporary resident of New York City! Tanzania native Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani arrived in town earlier today under extraordinarily heavy guard, which is a probably a good thing since he's accused of assembling the bombs that killed 224 people at two U.S. embassies in Africa in 1998.

According to government officials, Ghailani later went on to serve as a bodyguard and cook to Osama bin Laden. (Is that, like, a promotion from building bombs? Doesn't sound like one.) He was eventually captured in eastern Pakistan in 2004, and has completed something of a world tour ever since, making his way to several secret CIA prisons in various undisclosed locations before landing at Guantanamo Bay in 2006.

Tonight, however, he'll be resting his head at the Metropolitan Correctional Center on Park Row downtown. Let's just hope Bernie Madoff does the right thing for once and gives him a warm welcome.

Guantánamo Detainee Has Arrived in New York [NYT]
Facts on Ghailani, Guantanamo detainee sent to US [AP]