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Judge rejects Obama delay request | Judge rejects Obama delay request |
(10 minutes later) | |
A military judge at the Guanatanamo Bay detention facility has rejected a request by US President Barack Obama to suspend the trial of a detainee. | A military judge at the Guanatanamo Bay detention facility has rejected a request by US President Barack Obama to suspend the trial of a detainee. |
Correspondents say this could be a setback to Mr Obama's plans to close the facility. | Correspondents say this could be a setback to Mr Obama's plans to close the facility. |
Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, a Saudi citizen, is accused of planning the USS Cole attack of October 2000. | Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, a Saudi citizen, is accused of planning the USS Cole attack of October 2000. |
Judge James Pohl said the request to halt the trial to allow a review by the new administration was "unpersuasive". | Judge James Pohl said the request to halt the trial to allow a review by the new administration was "unpersuasive". |
Judge Pohl said that the trial of Mr Nashiri would go ahead. | Judge Pohl said that the trial of Mr Nashiri would go ahead. |
Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri has said he was tortured into confessing | |
In one of its first actions, the Obama administration instructed prosecutors to ask for the trials of 21 detainees who had been charged to be delayed by 120 days. | In one of its first actions, the Obama administration instructed prosecutors to ask for the trials of 21 detainees who had been charged to be delayed by 120 days. |
In some cases, the request was quickly granted. | In some cases, the request was quickly granted. |
The attack on the USS Cole while it was moored off Yemen left 17 US service personnel dead and 50 injured. | The attack on the USS Cole while it was moored off Yemen left 17 US service personnel dead and 50 injured. |
Mr Nashiri was arrested in the United Arab Emirates in 2002 and eventually transferred to Guantanamo. | |
He allegedly conspired to help two Islamic militants who steered an explosives-laden barge alongside the ship. | |
Trials halted | |
The new administration will now have to decide how to proceed, correspondents say. | |
Mr Obama ordered the review of military trials for terrorism suspects last week. He also ordered the closure, within one year, of the Guantanamo detention centre. | |
He said the US would continue to fight terrorism but would maintain its "values and ideals" as well. | |
Some 250 inmates accused of having links to terrorism remain in the facility. | |
The legal process for these prisoners has been widely criticised because the US military acts as jailer, judge and jury. | |
A judge has already suspended for 120 days the trial of five men accused over the 9/11 attacks. | |
These include alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who opposed the suspension, saying he wanted to confess to his role in the attacks. |