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Supreme Court Rules Against Bush on Guantanamo Trials
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=12D31A0:3919ACA In 5-3 decision
court says president overstepped his powers by setting up special war
crime tribunals for terrorism suspects







US Supreme Court in Washington, DC

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against the Bush administration in a
case involving military tribunals for Guantanamo prisoners.

In a 5-3 decision Thursday, the court said President Bush overstepped
his powers by setting up special war crime tribunals for terrorism
suspects.

The closely-watched case focused on Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a former
bodyguard and driver for Osama bin Laden. The court ruled that U.S.
law and the Geneva Conventions apply in Hamdan's case. This would mean
he could now be tried either by court martial, which is the
traditional military justice system or in a civilian court, but not by
the specially created tribunal.

Hamdan's appointed lawyer - a military officer - hailed the decision,
calling it a return to America's fundamental values.

President Bush said he has yet to carefully review the decision, but
said it appears there may be a way to work with the U.S. Congress to
make the military tribunals viable.

This is the second major decision against the Bush administration on
Guantanamo. Two years ago, the court rejected the president's claim to
have the authority to order detainees held indefinitely without access
to courts or lawyers.

International human rights advocates and many U.S. allies have
criticized the Bush administration for its policies toward the more
than 400 terror suspects held at the military base.

The White House argued that as commander-in-chief in wartime, the
president had the authority to set up the tribunals. Lawyers for the
administration said Hamdan and other detainees at Guantanamo Bay are
considered what they called "enemy combatants" and should be tried as
war criminals.



The administration said the prisoners did not have the protection of
the Geneva Conventions, although it argued they were being treated in
conditions "consistent" with those rights.

President Bush says he would like to close the facility, but says the
detainees are dangerous terrorists.

Chief Justice John Roberts did not take part in the decision because
of his involvement in an earlier stage of the case.


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