US u-turn on death penalty for UK terror suspects

BOWING to pressure from two key allies in the US-declared war on terrorism, the Pentagon said it would not seek the death penalty in any military trials held for two British subjects or an Australian national held at Guantanamo Bay.

The announcement followed the opening of separate talks this week between the Defence Department’s top legal officer and representatives of Britain and Australia, which have complained of legal restrictions in such trials and a possible death penalty for conviction of major crimes. President Bush on July 3 designated six foreign captives eligible to be tried before US military commissions. While none was named, two have been reported to be British and one Australian.

“Among other things, the US assured Britain that the prosecution had reviewed the evidence against Feroz Abbasi and Moazzam Begg, and that based on the evidence, if charged, the prosecution would not seek the death penalty in either case,” a Pentagon statement said on Wednesday.