US files charges against 3 Guantanamo inmates

Washington, Feb 3: A military prosecutor has filed chargesagainst an Australian, a Yemeni and a Canadian held at the US detentioncamp at Guantanamo Bay, the US Defense Department said.

''The Chief Prosecutor for the Office of Military Commissions hassworn charges against Guantanamo detainees David Hicks of Australia,Salim Hamdan of Yemen, and Omar Khadr of Canada,'' the Pentagon said ina statement yesterday.

The move was the first step toward trial under a new system ofmilitary commissions set up by the Bush administration last year.

The Supreme Court ruled last June that the administration'sprevious plan for trying the foreign terrorism suspects held at thedetention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was unlawful.

Under the system, the charges now have to be reviewed by other officials before the men can be formally charged.

The prosecutor filed charges against Hicks of providing materialsupport for terrorism and attempted murder in violation of the law ofwar, the statement said.

The charges filed against Hamdan were conspiracy and providing material support for terrorism.

The prosecutor filed charges against Khadr of murder in violationof the law of war, attempted murder in violation of the law of war,spying, conspiracy and providing material support to terrorism, thestatement said.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said today he was pleasedthe US military prosecutor had charged 31-year-old Hicks, who wasarrested in Afghanistan in late 2001.

Howard had demanded charges be filed by the end of February.

''I'm glad that the charges are being laid and that the deadline I set has been met,'' Howard told reporters in Sydney.

''They are very serious charges and that is why they should be dealt with as soon as possible.''

Reuters>