President Barack Obama was today accused of a major U-turn after he decided to keep the controversial military commissions set up by George Bush to prosecute terror suspects.
The surprise White House announcement reversed Mr Obama’s campaign pledge to rely on America’s conventional criminal court system.
It was the president’s second U-turn this week after he changed his mind and pledged to try and block the court-ordered release of damning photographs showing US soldiers abusing prisoners.
Last night’s move led to an outcry from shocked human rights campaigners who thought Mr Obama intended to dismantle the terror tribunals after calling them ‘an enormous failure’ during last year’s presidential campaign.
In one of his first acts as president, Mr Obama obtained a 120-day suspension of the military commissions established at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba that was seen as the death knell for one of the Bush administration’s key platforms in the war on terror.
He is expected to ask for an additional 120-day delay in nine pending cases to revamp the trials.
Mr Obama is asking US Congress to expand the rights of defendants to ban evidence gained from torture or cruel treatment, limit the use of hearsay testimony and give detainees more rights to pick their own lawyers.
He wants some defendants to face trial in the civilian court system.
But aides said the president now plans to retain the Bush administration’s military commissions to try a smaller number of about 20 terror suspects.
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Maybe he's finally getting it...
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