By Gary Fitleberg, December 30, 2003

A Yemeni man, Salim Ahman Hamdan, the second of hundreds of detainees at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo, Cuba, was provided defense counsel and military lawyer, according to the Pentagon. The announcement was the first public acknowledgement by the U.S. government that it was holding Hamdan.

Hamdan is expected to meet his lawyer, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Charles Swift, at the base prison in "the near future" according to a Defense Department statement. Hamdan is one of six detainees at Guantanamo who has been designated by President Bush to be eligible for possible trial before a military tribunal in the U.S. declared war on terrorism.

Military trials for some of the 660 prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay may begin soon although none of the prisoners have been charged with any crimes formally. Most were arrested during the U.S. led war that toppled the Taliban in Afghanistan. The U.S. has accused the Taliban of harboring Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Many of the prisoners have been held at Guantanamo for two years without charges, drawing sharp criticism from civil rights groups. The United States says the prisoners are "enemy combatants" not prisoners of war and that military tribunals are allowed under international law.

Gary Fitleberg is a Political Analyst specializing in International Relations with emphasis on Middle East affairs.

Copyright © 2003 Gary Fitleberg