White House disagrees with Guantanamo trial ruling

PRAGUE, June 5 (Reuters) The White House today said it disagreed with rulings by US military judges to drop all war crimes charges against two Guantanamo prisoners facing trial, and that the Defense Department was considering whether to appeal.

''We don't agree with the ruling on the military commissions,'' White House spokesman Tony Fratto told reporters in Prague where President George W Bush is meeting with leaders of the Czech Republic.

The judges on Monday said they lacked jurisdiction under the strict definition of those eligible for trial by military tribunal under a law enacted last year.

The Defense Department ''will make a determination as to whether it's appropriate to file an appeal or not,'' Fratto said. ''It does show that the system is taking great care to be within the letter of the law.'' The rulings did not affect US authority to indefinitely hold the 380 foreign terrorism suspects detained at the Guantanamo Bay naval base in southeast Cuba.

But it was the latest setback for the Bush administration's efforts to put the Guantanamo captives through some form of judicial process.

''In no way does this decision affect the appropriateness of the military commission system,'' Fratto said.

REUTERS SYU KN1535