USA: THE PENTAGON WILL MOVE AHEAD AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE WITH SPECIAL U.S. MILITARY TRIALS OF TWO GUATANAMO BAY PRISONERS
Record ID:
646782
USA: THE PENTAGON WILL MOVE AHEAD AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE WITH SPECIAL U.S. MILITARY TRIALS OF TWO GUATANAMO BAY PRISONERS
- Title: USA: THE PENTAGON WILL MOVE AHEAD AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE WITH SPECIAL U.S. MILITARY TRIALS OF TWO GUATANAMO BAY PRISONERS
- Date: 18th July 2005
- Summary: ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES (JULY 18, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. LV/SV U.S. DEFENCE SECRETARY DONALD RUMSFELD GREETING AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER JOHN HOWARD AT THE PENTAGON; RUMSRELD AND HOWARD GO UP THE STAIRS (2 SHOTS) 0.36 2. CU DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SIGN 0.40 3. SLV RUMSFELD AND HOWARD ENTER PRESS ROOM 0.54 4. MCU (English) RUMSFELD SPEAKING ON MILITARY TRIALS OF PRISONERS HELD AT GUANTANAMO: "In light of the court's ruling, the department will immediately take the following steps. Proceedings will resume as soon as possible against two detainees accused of terrorist activities including one individual who serve as bodyguard and driver to Osama Bin Laden. The office of military commission will prepare charges against eight other individuals and in addition it will prepare recommendations to the president to conduct military commission proceedings against additional individuals currently held at Guantanamo Bay Cuba." 1.27 5. SV PHOTOGRAPHERS 1.29 6. MCU (English) HOWARD SAYING: "Could I say in relation to the military commission process, Australia is satisfied particularly in the wake of some changes that were made to the process. Australia is satisfied with the military commission process in relation to David Hicks as he is the one Australian held at Guantanamo Bay will provide a proper measure of justice we welcome the appeals court decision in the united states which removes a road block to the speedy adjudication of Mr. Hicks. the allegations against him are particularly serious and we look forward to the being dealt with before the tribunal which is the military commission and i welcome the comments that are being made by the secretary but beyond that it will now be a matter of the commission to deal with and that is very much how it should be." 2.34 7. MCU PHOTOGRAPHER 2.39 8. MCU (English) RUMSFELD SAYING: "The United States had done nothing on September 11 when three thousand people were killed, we saw what happened in Bali, we've seen what happened in Turkey and London and many countries across the globe in Spain, and I think, that I would say, people who think they could make a separate peace with terrorists will find that it's very dangerous. It's a little like feeding an alligator hoping it eats you last." 3.11 9. SLV RUMSFELD AND HOWARD LEAVING PRESS ROOM 3.15 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 2nd August 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ARLINGTON,VIRGINIA, USA
- City:
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA3657KF0QUZ94KIGFJQYAXJLTW
- Story Text: Rumsfeld says military trials of detainees to
proceed immediately.
The Pentagon will move ahead as quickly as possible
with special U.S. military trials of two Guantanamo Bay
prisoners after a court validated the proceedings, and will
bring charges against eight more detainees, Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Monday ( July 18).
Rumsfeld hailed last Friday's federal appeals court
ruling as a vindication of the Bush administration's
approach. The court ruled that the military commission
trials of foreign terrorism suspects were unlawful,
reversing a lower-court decision.
"In light of the court's ruling, the department will
immediately take the following steps. Proceedings will
resume as soon as possible against two detainees accused
of terrorist activities including one individual who serve
as bodyguard and driver to Osama Bin Laden. The office of
military commission will prepare charges against eight
other individuals and in addition it will prepare
recommendations to the president to conduct military
commission proceedings against additional individuals
currently held at Guantanamo Bay Cuba," Rumsfeld said.
Rumsfeld was referring to the cases of Australian David
Hicks and Yemeni Salim Ahmed Hamdan, two of the four
prisoners at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba,
already charged with crimes in the military commission
process. Special panels of U.S. military officers will try
the men.
The two others charged are Ali Hamza Ahmed Sulayman al
Bahlul of Yemen and Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmoud al Qosi of Sudan,
whose cases currently are embroiled in questions over who
will serve as their lawyers.
During a joint news conference, visiting Australian
Prime Minister John Howard said he welcomed Rumsfeld's
comments and was satisfied with recent developments.
"Could I say in relation to the military commission
process, Australia is satisfied particularly in the wake of
some changes that were made to the process. Australia is
satisfied with the military commission process in relation
to David Hicks as he is the one Australian held at
Guantanamo Bay will provide a proper measure of justice we
welcome the appeals court decision in the united states
which removes a road block to the speedy adjudication of
Mr. Hicks. the allegations against him are particularly
serious and we look forward to the being dealt with before
the tribunal which is the military commission and i
welcome the comments that are being made by the secretary
but beyond that it will now be a matter of the commission
to deal with and that is very much how it should be,"
Howard said.
Rumsfeld said the Pentagon will prepare criminal
charges against eight other people, whose names and
nationalities he did not identify. In addition, Rumsfeld
said the Pentagon will prepare recommendations to President
George W. Bush to make "additional individuals" held at
Guantanamo eligible for such trials.
The U.S. Secretary of Defense also dismissed the
possibility of negotiating with terrorists.
"The United States had done nothing on September 11
when three thousand people were killed, we saw what
happened in Bali, we've seen what happened in Turkey and
London and many countries across the globe in Spain, and I
think, that I would say, people who think they could make a
separate peace with terrorists will find that it's very
dangerous. It's a little like feeding an alligator hoping
it eats you last, " Rumsfeld said.
Twelve men held at Guantanamo have been designated as
eligible for trial before military commissions, a concept
being used by the United States for the first time since
World War Two. Three additional men previously where on the
list, but have since been sent to their home countries.
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