Guantanamo Bay prisoners go before tribunal

A GUANTANAMO Bay prisoner accused of being a bodyguard for Osama bin Laden went before a US military tribunal yesterday to demand the right to act as his own attorney on war crimes charges.

The case against Yemeni Ali Hamza al Bahlul is one of only a handful brought against inmates at the camp, where about 500 prisoners in the US war on terrorism are being held. The hearing began on the fourth anniversary of the camp’s opening.

Bahlul, accused of being a bin Laden bodyguard and an al-Qaida videographer, was escorted by two officers into a courtroom at the remote US military base in Cuba for pre-trial arguments.