US government rushes to secure terror prisoners

Dublin News.Net
Saturday 5th July, 2008

The Bush government in the US is believed to be drawing up plans to push Guantanamo prison inmates into normal jails.

A high court ruling, which gave all detainees the right to petition for immediate release, said all inmates are protected by the US constitution, in the same way as American citizens.

This landmark decision has opened the way for all the prisoners to challenge their continued detention in civilian courts.

US military authorities have now classified the inmates into groups.

About 80 will be tried before military commissions while another 65 are likely to be repatriated to their home countries.

Some of the other 120 detainees are still to have their status decided.

These are generally suspects who have been judged by military officials to be too dangerous to be released or sent back to their home countries, even though there is insufficient evidence to place them on trial.

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