Obama Seeks Guantanamo Suspension
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7841492.stm
Barack Obama has requested the suspension of all military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay, in his first major action as the new US president.
The request was submitted to the prosecution hours before hearings were due to take place relating to five men accused of plotting the 9/11 attacks.
The prosecution will present the request to two tribunal judges.
Mr Obama has already vowed to close the detention camp, which opened on the US navy base in Cuba seven years ago.
The US Department of Defence is seeking to suspend trials for 120 days.
The two-page request says that the "interests of justice" will be served by an immediate suspension of the widely-criticised trials.
The delay would "permit the newly inaugurated president and his administration time to review the military commission process", it said.
On Wednesday, hearings were due to take place of the five men accused of plotting the attacks on 11 September 2001.
The case of Canadian Omar Khadr, who is accused of killing an American soldier in Afghanistan, was also due to be heard.
He did this within hours of becoming President so he definitely means business.
The report says he 'requested' suspension of the trials, but in fact this is by way of being an order and it's unlikely the 'request' will be refused.
Saw that on the news . Pretty good move for his first day in office.
Closing this will probably be one the best decisions he'll make...I seriously think this guy is out for a change. But at the same time, its scary coz there's so many politicians against him. Wish this guy all the luck coz he seems to wanting to do the right thing.