Five men accused of planning the 9/11 terror attacks against the US are to appear before a military court at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay.
Five men accused of planning the 9/11 attacks on America have boycotted a hearing at a US military court in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The plot's alleged mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, is among those due to appear at the hearing.
Alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others did not appear in the high security courtroom when the hearing started.
Judges will consider whether two men, Ramzi Binalshibh and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, are fit to stand trial.
The judge had ruled that three of the five - including Mr Sheikh Mohammed - would not be able to speak in court.
The hearings may be the last before the suspects are moved to the US mainland for separate trials, lawyers say.
The hearing was meant to focus on medical reports of two of the five.
US President Barack Obama has ordered a halt to military commissions at Guantanamo Bay.
A US prosecutor said those two would be brought to court by "all necessary means".
But, says the BBC's Jonathan Beale, at Guantanamo, confusion still surrounds the future of the base and its inmates.
Lawyers are currently discussing whether all five should be allowed to speak.
Preparations remain underway for military trials and prosecutors say they are ready to begin proceedings against 66 detainees, our correspondent says.
Mr Obama has conceded that some will be tried in military courts once Congress passes legislation which puts in place a number of legal safeguards.
But the appearance in court of the five men accused of plotting the attacks of 11 September 2001 will only serve as a remind of the lack of progress, our correspondent says.
The Obama administration has yet to announce how the five will be tried or where they will be held if the camp at Guantanamo Bay is closed by January 2010, as promised.
