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Guantanamo hearings set to begin Guantanamo accused court defiance
(about 6 hours later)
Pre-trial hearings are due to begin for six men at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, on the eve of Barack Obama's inauguration as US president. Two of the men accused of plotting the 9/11 attacks on the US have made unrepentant court appearances at pre-trial hearings at Guantanamo Bay.
Mr Obama is set to issue an order within days to close Guantanamo, but shutting the camp, where some 245 inmates remain, will not be immediate. Ramzi Binalshibh said he was proud of the attacks while Khalid Sheikh Mohammed said he did not fear death and was working "for the cause of God".
Monday's hearings concern five men accused of plotting the 9/11 attacks. The two were among five men appearing at a chaotic hearing at the naval base.
Canadian national Omar Khadr, accused of killing a US soldier in Afghanistan, faces a separate hearing. US President-elect Barack Obama is expected to issue an order to close the camp within days of taking office.
Both defence and prosecution lawyers asked the military judges to delay proceedings until after Mr Obama's inauguration, but their request was refused. The day's hearings were intended to determine whether Mr Binalshibh was mentally competent to represent himself.
Monday's hearings are likely to centre on the issue of whether the men must be charged and arraigned all over again. He and his co-defendants have all said they do not want to be represented by US military lawyers.
The BBC's Jonathan Beale, who was at the hearing, said there were chaotic scenes in the courtroom with the defendants continually interrupting the military judge.
"We did what we did and we are proud of this. We are proud of 9/11," Mr Binalshibh told the courtroom in Arabic as guards removed his shackles.
This is terrorism, not court, you don't give us an opportunity to talk Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
Earlier Mr Mohammed, who claims to have been tortured while in the camp and is the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, had requested the dismissal of all US lawyers on his bench.
"The people who tortured me received their salaries from the American government and the lawyers do too," he said.
He later told the court he and his co-defendants were not afraid of receiving the death penalty because they were "doing jihad for the cause of God".
When warned by the judge to stop interrupting the proceedings, he told them: ''This is terrorism, not court, you don't give us an opportunity to talk."
'Different course'
The detention camp has for a long time drawn international criticism Both defence and prosecution lawyers had asked the military judges to delay proceedings until after Mr Obama's inauguration, but their request was refused.
The Pentagon last month withdrew and refiled charges in about 20 cases, saying this was merely a procedural step.The Pentagon last month withdrew and refiled charges in about 20 cases, saying this was merely a procedural step.
This has added to the air of uncertainty surrounding the trials, correspondents say.This has added to the air of uncertainty surrounding the trials, correspondents say.
In the case of Omar Khadr, his lawyers are also arguing for certain statements to be suppressed, saying they were obtained through torture and coercion. A Canadian national, Omar Khadr, faces a separate hearing, accused of killing a US soldier in Afghanistan.
His lawyers are also arguing for certain statements to be suppressed, saying they were obtained through torture and coercion.
The US military says these were the result of "conversational and non-coercive interviews".The US military says these were the result of "conversational and non-coercive interviews".
Mr Khadr, who was 15 years old at the time, is accused of throwing a grenade that killed a US soldier in Afghanistan in 2002.Mr Khadr, who was 15 years old at the time, is accused of throwing a grenade that killed a US soldier in Afghanistan in 2002.
'Different course' Mr Khadr's trial is scheduled to begin on 26 January but his lawyer, Navy Lt Cdr Bill Kuebler, says he believes it is unlikely that the military tribunals will go ahead once Mr Obama is in office.
Mr Khadr's trial is scheduled to begin on 26 January but his lawyer, Navy Lt Cmdr Bill Kuebler, says he believes it is unlikely that the military tribunals will go ahead once Mr Obama is in office.
"It is simply unimaginable to think that these proceedings would continue when you have an administration that is on the record saying that so clearly," he said."It is simply unimaginable to think that these proceedings would continue when you have an administration that is on the record saying that so clearly," he said.
"What's very clear...is that they want to take a different course of action on Guantanamo." "What's very clear... is that they want to take a different course of action on Guantanamo."
Last week, senior advisers confirmed that Mr Obama would issue an executive order within days of entering the White House to close the detention centre. Challenge
Mr Obama himself has signalled that shutting the camp will be a challenge. Mr Obama has said he knows closing the camp will be challengingLast week, senior advisers confirmed that Mr Obama would issue an executive order within days of entering the White House to close the detention centre.
But shutting Guantanamo, where some 245 inmates remain, will not be immediate and Mr Obama himself has signalled that it will be a challenge.
His choice for attorney-general, Eric Holder, told his Senate confirmation hearing that he considered the interrogation technique of waterboarding to be torture.His choice for attorney-general, Eric Holder, told his Senate confirmation hearing that he considered the interrogation technique of waterboarding to be torture.
The CIA has admitted using the technique on at least three terrorism suspects, including the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The CIA has admitted using the technique on at least three terrorism suspects, including Mr Mohammed.
The Bush administration set up the Guantanamo Bay camp in 2002 to hold foreign terror suspects captured during the war against the Taleban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.The Bush administration set up the Guantanamo Bay camp in 2002 to hold foreign terror suspects captured during the war against the Taleban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.
The camp once held some 750 inmates, believed to be mostly foreigners detained in Afghanistan on suspicion of being Islamist fighters.The camp once held some 750 inmates, believed to be mostly foreigners detained in Afghanistan on suspicion of being Islamist fighters.