New Guantanamo trials underway

A Saudi man considered among the most senior figures in al-Qaida has emerged from nine years of secret confinement to face charges of orchestrating the deadly attack on the USS Cole, in the start of a new round of Guantanamo Bay war crimes tribunals under a president who vowed to halt them.

Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri did not enter a plea as he was arraigned and the court dealt with a number of procedural issues. The detainee, who was subjected to the harsh interrogation techniques that his lawyers say amounted to torture, appeared engaged and occasionally smiled as he responded to questions from the judge.