The Bush administration has drafted changes to the War Crimes Act that would protect US policymakers from possible retrospective criminal charges for authorising humiliating and degrading treatment of detainees, according to lawyers who have seen the proposal.

The US Army has dropped all charges against a Muslim chaplain accused of mishandling classified documents at the naval base detention centre in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where suspected terrorists are held.

MILITARY officials have charged a US Air Force translator at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp with espionage and aiding the enemy for allegedly trying to send information about detainees to Syria.