MILITARY judges in a Guantanamo war crimes court were pressing forward yesterday with hearings for five men accused of orchestrating the September 11 attacks and a Canadian accused of killing a US soldier.

A jury of US military officers at Guantanamo’s second war-crimes trial reached a verdict that could put Osama bin Laden’s alleged “media secretary” and videomaker in prison for life.

THE Pentagon said yesterday it has dropped war crimes charges against five Guantanamo Bay detainees after the former prosecutor in their cases complained that the military was withholding evidence helpful to the defence.

STRUGGLING with orders to prosecute a young detainee at Guantanamo Bay, Army Lt Col Darrel Vandeveld went online and consulted a priest for help with his concerns about the fairness of the military tribunals.

The judge in the first American war crimes trial since the Second World War barred evidence obtained by interrogators from Osama bin Laden’s driver, ruling he was subjected to “highly coercive” conditions in Afghanistan.