US Postpones First Guantanamo Trial

[unhappycamper]

US Postpones First Guantanamo Trial
May 17, 2008
Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - A military judge on Friday postponed the first war crimes tribunal at Guantanamo Bay, saying he wants to wait until the Supreme Court makes its highly anticipated ruling on the right of detainees to challenge their confinement in civil courts.

Navy Capt. Keith Allred ruled the trial for Osama bin Laden's former driver should be delayed seven weeks, until July 21, in case the Supreme Court ruling affects his case. He scheduled pretrial hearings to begin a week earlier.

A Supreme Court ruling is expected by June 30.

Defense lawyers for Salim Ahmed Hamdan, whose trial was scheduled to start June 2, had requested a postponement. Military prosecutors had said they were eager to go to trial.

The military judge's ruling is the latest in a series of delays for the government as it tries to prosecute Hamdan, a Yemeni, for acting as bin Laden's personal driver in Afghanistan, helping him to evade U.S. retribution following the Sept. 11 attacks.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/us-postpones-first-guantanamo-trial.html