Top U.S. court refuses to halt Khadr Guantanamo trial

[Raggz]

Source: Reuters

The U.S. Supreme Court refused on Friday to block next week's trial at Guantanamo Bay of a young Canadian who had been captured in Afghanistan.

Omar Khadr, now 23, was 15 years old at the time of his 2002 capture in Afghanistan at a suspected al Qaeda compound. He is scheduled to go to trial at the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba on August 10 on charges that include conspiring to commit terrorism and murdering a U.S. soldier.

His lawyers sought to put the trial on hold while they challenge the constitutionality of the military tribunals. But the Supreme Court rejected the request in a one-line order.

A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday also ruled against Khadr, saying he can challenge the constitutionality of the military commission system in an appeal later if he is convicted.


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67555B20100806

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Win some - lose some.

[discocrisco01]

1. US Supreme Court won't block Canadian's Guantanamo trial

Source: AFP

WASHINGTON — The US Supreme Court on Friday declined to block the prosecution of Canadian Omar Khadr, the last Western detainee at Guantanamo Bay, whose war crimes trial is set to open August 10.

"The application for stay presented to the chief justice and by him referred to the court is denied," the top US court said in a brief order that gave no details as to why the request was denied.

Khadr's military attorney, Lieutenant Colonel Jon Jackson, had sought a high court order forcing a lower court to examine the constitutionality of the military tribunal set to try the 23-year-old Canadian.

Alternatively, Jackson argued, the high court could issue its own decision on the constitutionality of the tribunals at the controversial prison facility located at a US military base on land leased from Cuba.

US forces in Afghanistan took Khadr prisoner in July 2002, when he was just 15 years old. He was later charged with war crimes for allegedly throwing a grenade that killed a US soldier.


Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i9ze6CUDhaAEdp0oIiEBx9JLbfMQ

[pmorlan1]

2. K & R

Why am I not surprised.