Guantanamo Military Tribunals to Resume
By VOA News
15 May 2009
The Obama administration is expected to revive military-run trials for terror suspects being detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba - but with new legal protections not provided under the Bush administration.
Senior U.S. officials say the new system will limit the use of hearsay, ban evidence gained through harsh treatment, give defendants more freedom to choose their own counsel, and provide more protections for detainees who refuse to testify.
President Barack Obama, who criticized the Bush-era system as a failure, is expected to ask for a 120-day delay in pending cases while the legal system is adjusted.
Mr. Obama suspended the trials shortly after taking office in January, pending an official review, but he did not rule out restarting them.
Mr. Obama's decision is likely to draw fire from civil rights advocates and his Democratic supporters, who are already upset over his decision Wednesday to block the release of more photos depicting detainee abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan at the hands of U.S. troops.
There are 241 detainees being held at the Guantanamo U.S. military prison, which President Obama has promised to close by January.
Former President George W. Bush created the military tribunal system to hear cases against "enemy combatants" being held at Guantanamo.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
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