WASHINGTON — The first war crimes trial at Guantanamo Bay can begin Monday, a federal judge ruled, saying civilian courts should let the military process play out as Congress intended.
The decision is a victory for the Bush administration, which plans to use military commissions to prosecute terrorism suspects, including those charged in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Had the trial been delayed, it would have been a sign that the entire process might crumble under the weight of judicial scrutiny.
But U.S. District Judge James Robertson on Thursday rejected an effort by Osama bin Laden's former driver, Salim Hamdan, to postpone his trial. Hamdan argued he would suffer irreparable harm if he were prosecuted before he could challenge the legality of the process.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,385001,00.html