GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — The judge presiding over the death penalty case against five al Qaeda members who played key roles in 9/11 said he wasn’t “shocked” the terrorist attack happened but was stunned by its massive “scope” as he recounted his personal experience while grilled by defense lawyers Wednesday.

Air Force Col. Matthew McCall took over the case on Tuesday, making him the fourth judge to preside over hearings in this iteration of the 9/11 case. On Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Military Commission Review, which oversees the island war court, handed down a ruling that shot down defense claims the Pentagon had unlawfully influenced decisions on which judge should preside over the case. McCall was grilled by the defense and prosecution on Wednesday as part of the “voir dire” process.