Kidnap suspect 'may face military tribunal'

The British-born chief suspect in the kidnap and murder of reporter Daniel Pearl could go on trial in front of an American military tribunal.

Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh has confessed to playing a part in the kidnapping of the 38-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter, whose murder was confirmed last week by a graphic videotape.

Defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Saeed, who is from Wanstead, in east London, met all the criteria for going on trial in front of an American military tribunal.

The tribunals - or commissions - were established by American president George W Bush in the wake of the September 11 terrorist strikes to try alleged terrorists in front of a panel of military judges and with a lower burden of proof and limited rights of appeal.

Mr Rumsfeld told NBC: "He certainly is someone that has committed a crime against an American and would be someone that I assume that our law enforcement people would extradite.

"It is the president's call as to who would be appropriate for a commission, a military commission, on his order. The only thing that bars a person is being an American citizen."

The American Department of Justice is reportedly moving to extradite Saeed from Pakistan for his alleged part in Pearl's death.